Daijiworld Media Network - Chamoli

Chamoli, Mar 13: The harsh reality of life without basic connectivity surfaced in Airtha village, Dewal block, Chamoli district, when residents were forced to carry a seriously ill woman, Himanti Devi, on a makeshift stretcher for five kilometres across treacherous hilly terrain to reach the nearest medical facility on Thursday.

Himanti Devi, wife of Khadak Ram, needed urgent care, but the absence of a motorable road meant villagers had to navigate dangerous mountain paths to reach the Primary Health Center in Dewal. After receiving initial treatment, doctors referred her to a higher medical centre, highlighting the fragile state of healthcare access in the region.

The incident brings attention to an eight-kilometre road project connecting Padmalla, Kanjru, and Airtha, approved in 2021 but still unstarted after four years. Village head Prema Devi said, “The lack of road connectivity is a recurring nightmare for this Dalit-dominated village. Our repeated petitions have fallen on deaf ears. The sick, pregnant women, and schoolchildren pay the cost every day.”

Residents say Airtha’s plight reflects a wider pattern of slow development in the higher Himalayan regions. Prema Devi warned that if construction does not begin soon, the village may boycott the upcoming assembly elections. Local villager Bishan Singh added, “For us, the road is not a convenience; it is a necessity for survival. While the government claims progress, our connectivity remains an unfulfilled dream.”