Hazaribag: Around 600 residents of Pachanda village in Ango panchayat of Barkagaon block are finally seeing hope of breaking decades of monsoon isolation, with construction of a bridge over the rain-fed Haharo river now underway.For years, during the rainy season the swelling river cut off the village from the outside world for nearly four months, effectively turning it into an island — surrounded by rivers on three sides and hills and forests on the fourth.Villager Binod Besra said, “We are still arranging essential items for the coming monsoon, but this time with the confidence that this will be the last time we will face such a situation.”TOI had highlighted the villagers’ plight on June 9, 2025, when residents detailed their annual struggle during the monsoon months.The village, largely inhabited by farmers and daily wage labourers, lacks connectivity to basic services. The only school, Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya Pachanda, offers education up to Class 8, after which students must travel around 5km to Ango by crossing the river. Medical emergencies pose a serious challenge, with patients often carried across the swollen river to access healthcare facilities. Fortunately, no major untoward incident has been reported so far.“Once the river starts overflowing, we are practically under lockdown. We cannot go to the market, block office or access other services. Once constructed, the bridge will change our lives,” said Mahendra Manjhi, another villager.Pachanda mukhiya Neelam Minz said the bridge is the result of sustained efforts by villagers and public representatives. “This was a demand of the people since Independence. The construction is progressing rapidly and we hope it will be completed before the next monsoon,” she said.On June 18 this year, Barkagaon BJP MLA Roshan Lal Choudhary laid the foundation stone for the bridge over the Haharo river. The project is being executed under the Chief Minister Gram Setu Yojana at an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 crore, connecting Urej and Pachanda villages in Ango panchayat.With the bridge expected to be completed before the next monsoon, villagers are hopeful of improved access to education, healthcare, markets and government services. “The long-standing isolation of Pachanda during monsoon is likely to become a thing of the past,” said Misir Lal Manjhi and Jagdish Manjhi.
The bridge under construction in Barkagaon