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In a heartening display of community spirit, villagers in Aurai, Muzaffarpur, have come together to build the Chachari Bridge through crowdfunding, addressing a long-standing need for safe river crossing.
This initiative was necessitated by the Bihar Government's inaction, highlighting the resourcefulness and resilience of rural communities and demonstrating the community's determination to find solutions to their problems. By pooling resources, villagers have taken ownership of the project, ensuring its sustainability and maintenance. According to residents, the Chachri Bridge is frequently damaged during floods, forcing them to take a boat ride. The fear of an accident is always present. The panchayat head, Anil Kumar Mishra, stated, "We inaugurated this bridge through the collective efforts of the villagers. In the name of God, we performed a puja and hawan for the bridge. Without this bridge, the villagers faced many problems, but now we can commute easily." This infrastructure improvement will facilitate easier access for thousands of residents to both the block and district headquarters. The Chachari Bridge will facilitate safe crossing over the Bagmati River, enabling villagers to access essential services, markets, and neighbouring villages. Previously, residents relied on boats to navigate the river, posing risks to life and livelihood. Another villager, Deepu Saini, said, "It took more than a month to construct this bridge, with ten people working tirelessly each day. We faced many problems due to the lack of a bridge for about two to three months, and the government did nothing to support our village. We are still facing electricity issues as well." The Chachari Bridge collapsed during the devastating floods, which necessitated travel by boat, leading to safety concerns for the community. Furthermore, the absence of a bridge during the wedding season became problematic, as grooms' processions are unable to reach the brides' homes. The local community holds the government directly responsible for their ongoing challenges. However, the residents have taken the initiative to address this issue themselves. Even before the wedding season, they began constructing a pathway. They have successfully built a bridge over the Bagmati River through their collective labour and have inaugurated it. This development means that the people from eight panchayats will now be able to access the block headquarters without any difficulties. The construction of the 'Chachri' bridge will reduce travel distance by 20 kilometres. Varun kumar, a villager said "From independence till today, the people of this village, they are using boats to go to another side of river. Several politicians come and goes...they make promises but never fullfill them., with construction of this bridge many things became easier. There are about 25 villages and 8 panchayats that connect to the block Headquarters. And the people here, to go to the Muzaffarpur Hospital, their distance is about 20 km less. While in Runnisaidpur, people have to go 45 km. If this bridge is built, then it will be only 20 km from here to the Medical College." Madhuvan Pratap, located in the Aurai block of the district, lies on the banks of the Bagmati River and has a population of over 3,000. Since independence, there has been no proper road connecting the village. The construction of the 'Chachri' bridge after flooding provides some relief to the community. The 'Chachri' bridge or boat has become the only means of support for the residents of this village. (ANI)
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