Trust builds steel bridge to help residents of Kallanda village

More than 25 families do not have to depend on a shaky wooden footbridge to cross the swollen Eluvarehalla rivulet during monsoon at Kallanda in Mitthbagilu in Belthangady taluk.

The residents now cross the overflowing rivulet using a sturdy steel bridge built with the help of "Yuva Tejassu Trust'.

The low water level allowed vehicles to cross the rivulet during summer.

Villagers built a footbridge with the areca nut wooden logs to cross the rivulet during monsoon.

"Walking on the wooden hanging bridge was risky as a slight slip would lead to a certain death by falling into the swirling waters below," Yuva Tejassu Trust coordinator Guruprasad Panja said.

The steel bridge is 35-feet long, four-feet wide and is built at an estimated cost of Rs 1.50 lakh. The bridge is sturdy and even two-wheelers can ride over the bridge.

"During rainy season, the residents were parking two-wheelers on one side of the rivulet and using the shaky wooden bridges to reach their houses," he said.

The bridge will benefit the residents of Badanaje, Daipithilu, Kodabettu, Karimaru, Elyarakanda and other villages, he added.

Yuva Tejassu Trust, which has hundreds of members, meets regularly on WhatsApp groups.

"The Trust was registered in 2015. We began with a monthly membership of Rs 100 for charity. Presently, the Trust has around 12 WhatsApp groups titled Yuva Tejassu Daanigala Balaga," he said.

The Trust in the past had raised money to construct houses for the poor, provided financial aid to flood-affected families, medical expenses and so on.

It launched a social media campaign to build steel hanging bridges in rural areas across Dakshina Kannada (DK) district a few days ago.

Guruprasad said that the death of a seven-year-old girl, who fell from a wooden footbridge and drowned in Byndoor in Udupi recently, had a huge impact on them.

"The members swung into action seeking details of the dilapidated wooden footbridges in their locality,” he said and added that they had received requests from more than 10 areas with wooden footbridges in pathetic condition," he said.

The steel bridge at Kallanda is the first such bridge constructed under this campaign, he added.

"We will construct bridges where there are no alternative means to help villagers reach their homes safely. A majority among the requests for bridges are from remote pockets in Markanja, Aranthodu, Kollamogru, Kombaru, Siribagilu and other areas in Sullia
and Belthangady taluks," he said.

The members of the Trust and well-wishers donate money to the cause. The work on the bridges will be taken up with the permission of respective gram panchayats, Guruprasad said.