Like Manjhi, Barwani tribals cut hill to build own road

Barwani: Residents of a remote tribal hamlet in MP’s Barwani district decided to build a road they waited years for the govt to provide. Lack of a road meant pregnant women, patients, and elderly residents had to be carried across rugged terrain in makeshift slings to reach transport and medical care.Armed with spades, pickaxes, and their own savings, villagers of Khodi Palas Faliya under Ubadgarh Gram Panchayat have spent the past week cutting a motorable route through hills and forest land.Frustrated by poor connectivity and unfulfilled promises, families pooled around Rs 10,000 each, hired an earth-moving machine and launched a community-driven road project. In just over a week, they have paved nearly 1km of the stretch and are now planning to raise more funds to extend it further.Home to more than 250 people across 30-35 households, the hamlet remains disconnected from the main road network despite repeated demands. Villagers said election-time assurances rarely translated into action.Residents recalled the recent case of 14-year-old Sakharam, who had to be carried in a sling to a local practitioner after falling ill, as there was no road or transport facility connecting the settlement to the outside world.For years, village youth Mohan’s most difficult journeys were not to the market or his fields, but carrying pregnant women and critically ill villagers in makeshift slings across rocky hills to the nearest road where a vehicle could be found. This week, instead of carrying patients, he has been spending hours digging, levelling and clearing land to build a road for his village.Women have also played a key role in the effort.“After finishing household chores and preparing meals, I join other villagers in road construction. Apart from carrying drinking water, residents have to transport fertilizers, seeds, and agricultural equipment on their head along the rough and uneven track. The journey often leaves people exhausted and unwell,” Rumti Bai says.The problem worsens during monsoons, when the route becomes muddy and often impassable, disrupting access to schools, healthcare, and markets.Responding to the issue, Bhupendra Rawat, SDM of Barwani, said, “The settlement is located in a forest area and the matter is under examination. Surveys of such habitations are underway to identify locations lacking connectivity and assess their eligibility for road infrastructure projects.”Ankit Awasthi, general manager of the MP Rural Road Development Authority, told TOI, “Ubadgarh is already connected by a cement-concrete road. However, to improve connectivity between its individual hamlets, that road has been included under the CM Majra-Tola Road Scheme, and its survey has already been completed.”