Soro,6th Sept 2025: The Sabira Panchayat under Soro Block in Baleswar district continues to suffer due to its long-standing and neglected issue — the Gola Bridge. This bridge, located between the beginning of Sabira Panchayat and the remote village of Dhanabara Khunta, gets submerged even with a little rainfall, cutting off all road communication.
Due to this, ambulances, school buses, students, and fire trucks are unable to pass during these times, putting lives and services at risk.
This is not a new problem — it has existed since before India’s independence. Over the years, many politicians, intellectuals, and activists have raised their voices through protests, road blockades, and agitations. However, during elections, their concern often seems to be crocodile tears, as no real solution follows once the votes are secured.
Dhanabara Khunta village, located at the farthest end of Sabira Panchayat and bordering the block boundary, suffers the most. The Kansabansa river flows near the village, and even light rainfall leads to flooding and submergence of roads, cutting off access to essential services. After the floods, the roads become so muddy and damaged that even walking becomes difficult, as per complaints from the local residents.
Nearby schools in Simulia Block, where students from the village attend classes from standard 1 to 10, also see regular absenteeism due to inaccessible roads.
Locals have earnestly appealed to the government and administration to take immediate action. They request that the road be elevated and reconstructed so that communication remains intact even during floods.
It remains to be seen when the local administration will act to resolve the suffering of Sabira Panchayat, especially regarding the Gola Bridge and Dhanabara Khunta village.