Purnia: In Amaur block of Purnia, over 50,000 residents of 10 panchayats remain dependent on boats for daily travel due to the incomplete construction of a bridge over the Kanakayi river. Work on an 11-span bridge began in 2011, with the structure completed in 2017, but the approach road has yet to be built. The river changed its course during a flood this year, further complicating the situation.
Villager Mohammad Salman explains that the Kanakayi river divides the block into two parts, affecting panchayats like Khadimahin, Hafnia Tarabari, Sirsi, Khapra, and Majok. Essential services such as ambulances are unable to reach the panchayats directly. Patients, including pregnant women in labor, must cross the river by boat to access medical care, often leading to fatalities during emergencies.
For students and teachers, the situation is equally dire. School children and college students use boats daily, and teachers often face delays. Private teacher Mohammad Tabrez says he must leave home two hours early to ensure he reaches school, as boats wait to fill up before departing. Six months ago, a BPSC teacher was saved from drowning after slipping while disembarking from a boat.
Boat travel is fraught with danger, particularly during the flood season. Student Mohammad Riyaz recalls a terrifying incident two years ago when a boat capsized due to the river’s strong currents. He describes the daily commute as a life-threatening journey, where the risk of accidents looms until the trip is completed.
Boatmen charge passengers in cash or kind, often taking 10–15 kg of paddy as fare or charging Rs 20 per trip. For villagers, the journey to reach Khadi Basaul village—a key transit point—takes half an hour by boat, followed by additional expenses for onward travel. Nighttime emergencies require special permission from the local police to operate boats.
Despite 13 years since the project’s inception, the lack of an approach road has left the bridge unfinished and the community stranded. Residents continue to plead for government intervention to address the pressing need for connectivity and safety.
