Every year during monsoon, the residents of Umroli village had to risk their lives while travelling on the lone 50 year old bridge over Gadi River that connected their village to Panvel. With the new bridge almost ready, the villagers heaved a sigh of relief that will not force them to undertake a life threatening journey. The construction of the bridge has been completed and the work on the approach road is going on.
Last year, a couple was washed away while crossing the old bridge which did not have any railings and was low in height.
The work on the around 150 meters long bridge connecting Panvel and Umroli village had begun last year after a young couple riding on a bike was washed away by the strong currents of the Gadi river while crossing the bridge. Though the construction of a new bridge was approved, work could not start due to the monsoon.
The People Works Department (PWD) is carrying out the work. According to an official from PWD, the work of the bridge will be completed before the monsoon arrives. “The work would have been completed earlier, had the lockdown not been imposed,” said the official. He added that the bridge was constructed at a total cost of Rs 1.45 crore.
Umroli village is located around 10 km away from Panvel and it has a population of around 1000 people. The bridge is the only means for them to connect with Panvel. During monsoon, the old bridge would be submerged under water after heavy rainfall. Last year in July, after a heavy rainfall of about three-four days, the bridge was submerged and a couple from the village was trying to cross on a motorbike and was washed away due to the strong current. Even the width of the bridge was hardly 10 feet wide.
Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur took up the matter with the PWD and ensured that the construction of the bridge was completed before the monsoon. He said that residents of Umroli village were living in fear of being cutting off from Panvel. “Parents were worried about their school-going children as the old bridge was submerged under water if there was rainfall for hardly three-four hours,” said Thakur. He added that villagers have been demanding a new bridge for a long time and now, this monsoon they will get it.
