Fed up of government's delay, people of an island in Karnataka construct a bridge by themselves

MANGALURU: The bridge connecting Pavoor-Uliya to the mainland is the road to better education and healthcare, for the people of this island which is located on the banks of the Netravati river, around 26 km from Mangalore. As the bridge has been built with their own hard-earned money.

Residents say that they have been demanding for a bridge since Independence but no government has listened to them. Until, they decided to pool money and build their own bridge. The ‘project’, which was led by the local church, managed to garner Rs 18 lakh in the contributions and took a week to be completed. 

On Wednesday, for the first time the residents had walked across the bridge in a religious procession. The bridge is built from metal rods which includes a wooden towpath, the 800m lock-system bridge can be installed in two days and can also be dismantled any time, says the Capuchin priest Fr Jerald Lobo.

A total number of 200 people, which also includes 30-40 students, are now a step closer to schools, colleges and hospitals, he says.

Flavia D’Souza a resident emotionally talks about the bridge. As her husband, Basil, had passed away 20 years ago due to a heart attack. “We could not take him to hospital on time as there was no bridge. I am happy there is some connectivity now,” she says.

The residents agree, that the biggest beneficiaries of the project are the children of the island. 

Earlier, to get to school, they had to flock to a boat boarding area by 6.30 AM and try their luck. “Juggling between the boat, the overflowing river with strong currents and rain, crossing the Netravati river was a daily adventure for us,” says a student.