Chhattisgarh: Once cut off by Indravati river & Reds, 50 Bastar villages to get lifeline bridge

RAIPUR: For decades, the Indravati river for villages deep inside Bijapur served more as a barrier specially during monsoon, as it cut them off and turned them into islands. In summer, it forced them into boats. In emergencies, its current decided who reached help and who didn’t. That is beginning to change with the nearly complete Fundari bridge, a 648-metre link over the Indravati that is set to give all-weather access to more than 50 villages in Bhairamgarh block of once Maoist-hit Bijapur district in Bastar.

The bridge, expected to be fully operational and formally inaugurated before monsoon.

Earlier, reaching Abujhmarh from Bijapur district headquarters meant a 210km detour via Orchha in Narayanpur district. The Fundari bridge cuts the distance by more than half, easing movement between Bijapur and Narayanpur and opening access to villages under gram panchayats such as Bangoli, Belnar, Chinger, Bail, Marrameta, Takilod and Itampar.

It will serve as both a development corridor and a strategic breakthrough in a region that remained isolated for decades due to difficult terrain and Maoist dominance.

Villagers say the shift is already visible. “Earlier, even emergencies meant helplessness. Now, ambulances can reach our villages for the first time,” a local resident said.

Built by the public works department under security cover provided by CRPF camps, the bridge has accelerated the rollout of basic services.

Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said bridges in once Naxal-affected areas are central to the government’s focus on connectivity and last-mile development. “These infrastructure projects are key to integrating such villages with the mainstream and improving access to essential services,” he said.

Bijapur deputy collector Abhishek Tamboli the bridge has helped address the security vacuum in the region. “The construction of the Fundari bridge marked a turning point. It enabled easier access for security forces and made it possible to effectively encircle the strongest Naxalite zones,”

The Fundari bridge is also part of a larger infrastructure push on the Indravati. The long-pending Bedre bridge project, earlier stalled due to Maoist insurgency, is set to resume after retendering. Two other bridges sanctioned at Uspari in Bhairamgarh block and Bhopalpatnam are at the tender stage. Together, these four bridges are expected to connect 78 villages of Bijapur, Abujhmarh and Narayanpur to the mainstream.