Uttarakhand: Locals use makeshift trolley to cross river, risk their lives

Locals in Uttarakhand's Danijela village are risking their lives every day as they have to use a makeshift hanging trolley to cross the river in the area which is overflowing owing to frequent rains.

In the absence of a cross-over bridge in the village, helpless locals have constructed a wooden ropeway trolley on their own at a time when the river has swelled after downpour.

Determined to go to school, young students tread the tough path daily even when they find it extremely dangerous.

"There is no other way to cross the river, so we have to sit in a trolley which has been designed by the locals here. We face a major problem while going to school as we do not have any other way to cross this river. This mode of traveling is extremely dangerous," a school student told ANI.

The wooden trolley can carry only one person at a time. In case it gets stranded in the middle, the person stands at the risk of losing his/her life, fear locals.

District authorities, however, said funds are not a problem and asserted that all efforts are being made by the administration.

"Government has approved the construction of new suspension bridges and parallel bridges wherever needed in the districts. Fund access is not a problem; efforts are taken by the respective authorities to construct bridges in the districts." Savin Bansal, District Magistrate (DM), told ANI.

"Government should do something in this direction before some mishap occurs. The respective authorities should construct a crossover bridge to ease our traveling, especially during monsoon season," another resident said.