Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, May 29: Water fills in pits and wells due to heavy rain in rural areas during monsoon. Children face difficult situation while going to school in the absence of bridges. Therefore, 28 bridges are being constructed as chief minister’s dream project under the title ‘shala samparka sethu yojane’ (bridge project that connects schools).

It is intended that the bridges will help the villagers, especially school children who need to walk in dangerous water filled ditches and silos.

37 bridges are identified. Work on 28 bridges at a cost of Rs 191.27 lac has commenced.

A school going girl from Theerthahalli, Shivamogga district was washed away in floods last monsoons. Therefore, chief minister Kumaraswamy who stayed in the vicinity for two days decided to implement the Sethu project for children to go to school. Children have to walk around fields and farms to reach their schools as there are no bridges for them. People have to inevitably walk on temporary bridges made of areca nut tree or other trees which is risky. The state government which realized it released a notification for construction of mini bridges and released funds for the construction. The bridges are being constructed through public works department.

Heads of schools put forth demands for mini bridges after discussing with local people and the elite. Taluk block education officer Shivaprakash prepared a list of bridges and submitted it to public works department. PWD buildings and transport department engineer prepared a sketch and estimated the cost of mini bridges. The spots are identified, its design and project reports are prepared on directions from the department and technical approval is obtained. Mini bridges of a width of one to three meter are being built at a cost of Rs 15 lac each.

The project is permanent. “The process will continue after inspections as per demand,” said PWD assistant executive engineer Umesh Bhat.