Bihar Polls: Years of Apathy Keep Khagaria Residents Dependent on Boats for Transport

Elections come and go, but difficulties in the day to day lives of villagers in Khagaria seem to be endless. With the second phase of Bihar polls to be held on November 3, the voters do not have much hope from the politicians who have been giving merely lip service in terms of promises.

While CM Nitish Kumar continues to take credit for having brought sushasan (good governance) to the state, the dust afloat after every rally in Khagaria speaks volumes about the promise of concrete roads and infrastructure. The dilapidated roads along the border shared with the Begusarai district, half-constructed bridges further exhibit the government apathy. About 156 kilometre East of Patna, Durgapur village along the National Highway 31 is replete with potholes, prone to mishaps. 

The 2018 report of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) had showed Bihar among the worst performing states. As opposed to the CM’s claims, the data from the Rural Development Department, Government of Bihar, shows that the progress in construction of roads has been the least in the state since after 2015-16 (after Nitish Kumar assumed office as the CM).

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Part of the Munger Division, Khagaria district is one of the least populated districts of Bihar as per the 2011 Census. It has been witnessing recurrence of floods annually as five major rivers – Ganga, Gandak, Bagmati, Kamala Balan and Kosi pass through it.

It is believed that during the time of Emperor Akbar, revenue minister Raja Todarmal had been entrusted with the responsibility of surveying the entire area, but he failed to do it due to difficult terrain, rivers and dense forests. Even today, people are grappling with restricted movement in this region, relying mostly on river boats. Commuters with vegetables in plastic sacks, bundled firewood, milk tankers loaded onto a bike, etc. can be seen here waiting for the single boat that would ferry them to Mathaar or nearby region. 

Commuters have to rely on boats for transport. 

Abhinav Kumar (26) of Sonbarsa village, who is also a government exam aspirant, told NewsClick that despite requests to the local administration, this problem persists. The small tributary of Ganga that flows behind Durgapur through the Rahimpur Madhya panchayat is devoid of any bridge connectivity, he said.

The incomplete bridge over a tributary of Ganga

Firoz Yadav (44), a tempo driver by profession, often visits his maternal native village on the other side of the river bed. He said that construction of the bridge started many years ago, but it had been abandoned halfway.

Absence of road/bridge connectivity is a curse for those living in Mathaar where the population is no less than 30,000. Even today, critical patients are taken to the hospital on this side of the river on wooden beds (khatiya), Yadav said.

Sanjeev Kumar aka Sanjeev Dom, who has been working for the betterment of Musahar community in Bihar, told NewsClick that the 2019 Lok Sabha polls were boycotted by the Musahars from Kodra village falling under the Alauli Assembly segment owing to the absence of roads, bridges, schools and hospitals. The village still remains devoid of even a chachari pull (bamboo-wooden bridge) to cross the river. 

Khagaria district comprises four assembly seats. Out of these, Khagaria, Beldaur, Parbatta have Janata Dal (United) legislators while Alauli segment is with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Known for its large migrant population and also home to extreme backward classes (EBCs), the core vote base of Kumar’s ruling JD(U), the ruling party is banking on anti-Yadav vote consolidation. Meanwhile, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is posing a threat to the prospects of JD(U), experts say.

Saurav Kumar is an independent journalist based in Bihar.

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