Jamtara, July 29
A decades-old bridge that served as a vital lifeline for over 150 villages in Jharkhand’s Jamtara district collapsed on Tuesday, severing all direct connectivity of more than 150 villages with the district headquarters.
The Dakshin Bahal bridge, linking Jamtara to Deoghar, crumbled under the force of gushing river water following days of persistent rainfall, plunging the entire area into chaos.
Built in 1980 using stone boulders, the bridge had long been a crucial artery for daily commuters, students, patients, and workers.
Authorities had restricted movement on it to two-wheelers after it sustained damage on July 18 after a heavy downpour -- but the structure finally gave way on Tuesday, halting all traffic.
Now, villagers who once needed to travel just half a km to access schools, hospitals, and markets will have to take a 15 to 20 km detour.
The collapse has brought life in this region -- part of Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari’s constituency -- to a standstill.
“I used to take this bridge to reach college every day. Now it feels like the entire village is cut off from the world,” said Aarti Kumari, a student stranded in her village.