June 6th 2024.
In Basudevpur, the construction of a bridge over the Mantei River faced some initial challenges, but has now finally begun, bringing joy to the local residents. The Mantei River flows through the Basudevpur, Chandbali, and Tihidi blocks in Bhadrak district and upon completion, it will greatly benefit the millions of residents living in these areas. This bridge will not only provide direct connectivity between Bhadrak, Balasore, and Kendrapara districts but also reduce the distance between these places.
Interestingly, the Mantei River holds a special place in the hearts of the people here, as it is closely linked to Mahatma Gandhi. In 1927, he crossed this river on a boat and visited the Charbatia village. The construction of this bridge is being carried out by a private consultancy agency, Bekem Infra Projects Private Ltd, at a cost of Rs 60 crore. The Basudevpur block is located on one side of the river, while Tihidi and Chandbali blocks are situated on the opposite side. The Mantei River has been referred to as the "sorrow" of the locals, as navigating through its waters on boats was a risky and dangerous task due to the presence of crocodiles. Tragically, there have been instances in the past where lives were lost due to boat accidents on this river. Recognizing these issues, the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik gave the go-ahead for the construction of this bridge through a public-private partnership.
Since the Mantei River was under the jurisdiction of the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the state government had to repeatedly float tenders for its construction, but none of the consultancy agencies were able to take on the project due to various reasons. However, thanks to the persistent efforts of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and the late Bijayshree Routray, former MLA of Basudevpur, all the obstacles in the construction of the bridge were eventually removed. Following in his father's footsteps, Bishnubrata Routray, the former MLA of Basudevpur, continued to work towards this cause. As a result, the foundation stone for the bridge was laid at Karanjaadia in Charbatia, three months ago.
Until now, the absence of a bridge meant that people had to risk their lives daily by taking boats to cross the river along with their vehicles. The Balimeda panchayat of Basudevpur block managed the river ghat for one year, while Tihidi block took over the responsibility in the next year. Similarly, hundreds of people also had to travel from Karanjadia River ghat to their destinations by holding onto a rope attached to a country boat. Here too, the Karanjadia panchayat and Chandbali block took turns managing the ghat for one year each. Sadly, many lives have been lost in boat accidents in the past, and the presence of crocodiles in the river has only added to the danger.
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