Reconstruction of a bridge on Harabhangi river near Mohana in Gajapati district is yet to be completed although it had been washed away during a flash flood since August 14 last.

It was a bridge on the Mohana-Nuagada block RD road via Chudangapur. The bridge could not survive three year before being washed way. It had been put to use in 2011.

On September 1 last, the authorities had assured to complete reconstruction of bridge within a month. But it was not completed till date.

After collapse of the bridge, a temporary wooden bridge has been set up. Since thousands of travelers depend on this route, they are paying to use the wooden bridge on the basis of Rs 5 per person, Rs 10 per cycle and Rs 50 per bike. The poor people are suffering like anything due to the collection of money, Congress block president Rama Mallick alleged.

Now the buses, tractors, trucks and other four wheelers and heavy vehicles are travelling between Mohana and Nuagada through a diversion route via Chandiput-Chandragiri-Antaraba-Chudangapur which means an extra distance of around 35 km.

But this has also added to anguishes of people of Mohana as the passenger vehicles that take the detour are now skipping Mohana.

The RD department does not know about the wooden bridge and money collection over the river. “To reconstruct the bridge at Atharanala would cost over Rs 2 crores,” said RD SDO Subash Maharana.

The affected public includes school and college students, employees as well as small traders. Crossing the river during rainy season by any other means is also risky as there is threat of flash flood.