Chhattisgarh: Security forces set up ropeway on River Chintavagu for villagers in Naxal-infested Bijapur

Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 3 (ANI): The paramilitary forces deployed in the region constructed a ropeway on a river displaying their commitment to society, reducing challenges to the lives of people residing in the insurgency-hit Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.

“The villagers are smoothly using this ropeway to cross the river,” said Bastar Range Inspector General of Police (IG) Sundarraj P.

In the construction of the ropeway, CRPF and ITBP have played a crucial role, pointed Sundarraj.

In the absence of a bridge and ropeway, the villagers were using small boats as the only option to cross the river and sometimes met with fatal accidents.

Expressing gratitude towards the state government for the construction of the ropeway, villagers said that earlier, they had to face serious problems due to flooding on the river and the situation is changing now significantly. Earlier, small boats were the only option for them to cross the river during monsoon, and it was risky too, but now everything is well.

After the BJP returned to power in Chhattisgarh six months ago, the government has been fighting strongly against the Naxal menace.

Moreover, under the tight security of paramilitary forces, a bridge on the Chintavagu River will also be completed soon and play a significant role in ongoing anti-naxal operations. It is being claimed by officials that the bridge will give security personnel in the battle against naxalism.

“Construction of the bridge started and it takes one-and-a-half to two years to complete such a big structure. Keeping the problem being faced by the population close to Pamed and nearby areas, CRPF and ITBP established a ropeway parallel to the under-construction bridge,” said Bastar Range Inspector General of Police (IG) Sundarraj P.

As construction of the bridge is ongoing on the Chintavagu River, the security personnel have set up a ropeway on the river as a temporary arrangement, giving relief to residents of Pamed, one of the last villages in Chhattisgarh, and adjacent areas in the district.

Highlighting the importance of the bridge, the IG said that in the absence of a bridge on the Chintavagu River, Pamed, which is the last village of Chhattisgarh in Bijapur, remains deprived of connectivity from the block and district headquarters.

The villagers and government workers have to cover 200 kilometers extra (travelling from Telangana) to reach Bijapur due to the river and the absence of a bridge. Considering the problems being faced by people, the state government has decided to construct the bridge.

During the construction exercise, the naxals posed serious challenges and also targeted the camps of security forces (established on both sides of the river).

In January this year, naxals attacked Dharmavaram camp, said the IG.

With the establishment of camps on both sides of the river, the works on the bridge are being carried out quickly, and the construction will be completed by the end of July this year, stated Bastar Range IG.

The IG further informed that with the construction of the bridge, people in Pamed could easily reach their block headquarters in Awapalli and their district headquarters in Bijapur. Moreover, the bridge will facilitate people’s easy access to facilities like education, health and others. The existence of the bridge will have a positive impact on the population of Pamed and adjacent areas.

So far, security personnel have to face the threat of ambush and IED blasts while undertaking anti-naxal operations in the absence of a bridge, recalled the IG.