Tribal Village in Giridih Still Awaits Bridge Over Naraina River
Key Points:
- Villagers carry ailing woman on a cot for a kilometre in Badhaniyatand
- No bridge over Naraina river, no pucca road connects the village
- Village falls in leader of opposition Babulal Marandi’s home constituency
GIRIDIH – Residents of a tribal-dominated village in Giridih district were forced to carry a sick woman on a cot for nearly a kilometre on Sunday after her health suddenly deteriorated, exposing the continuing absence of basic infrastructure in the area.
The incident occurred in Badhaniyatand village under Gumgi panchayat in Tisri block. The village has neither a pucca road nor a bridge over the Naraina river, forcing residents to rely on makeshift means during emergencies.
Family members and fellow villagers carried the woman on their shoulders after no ambulance could reach the village due to the absence of a proper road. The image of villagers ferrying the patient on a cot quickly circulated on social media.
However, the incident is not an isolated one for the region. Villagers said the demand for a bridge over the Naraina river and a pucca road connecting Badhaniyatand to the main road has persisted for years without resolution.
According to residents, water levels in the river rise sharply during the monsoon, multiplying their difficulties. Vehicles struggle to reach the village during this period, forcing patients to be carried on foot to the nearest main road in emergencies.
Moreover, villagers said they had repeatedly raised the issue before elected representatives and officials, yet no permanent solution has been found. They said promises of development are made frequently during elections but rarely translate into action when genuine need arises.
Notably, Tisri block falls within the home constituency of Babulal Marandi, the Leader of Opposition and Dhanwar MLA. The absence of basic infrastructure in a tribal village within his own constituency has raised questions about the functioning of the local administration.
Besides falling under Marandi’s constituency, Tisri block also lies within the Koderma Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by a Union minister. Despite this, the lack of an ambulance-accessible route to Badhaniyatand has drawn scrutiny over the ground reality of development claims in the area.
On the other hand, villagers have demanded that the administration take up construction of a bridge over the Naraina river on priority and connect the village with a pucca road. They said the road and bridge represented not merely a convenience but a matter of life and death for residents.
Similar infrastructure concerns have surfaced elsewhere in the state recently. In Palamu, a schoolgirl’s books were washed away in floods, prompting her to approach the district administration in tears. Meanwhile, the Centre recently de-sanctioned Rs 10,000 crore worth of road projects in the state, citing reasons that could affect Kolhan.
Political attention on Giridih has also intensified in recent days. Babulal Marandi separately attacked the state government over a student clash in the district, while he has also targeted the Hemant Soren government over allegations of assault on students.
Besides road and infrastructure demands, protests have also erupted elsewhere in the state over the mineral bill, with Congress workers staging demonstrations against the legislation. In a related development, a scuffle broke out between protesters and police during a separate agitation in the state.
