Stories of Bharat – Seva Bharati builds a bamboo bridge in a Kerala village to connect to the outside world during rainy season

The villagers near Moolamattom in Kerala are faced with a unique problem every year. The village is situated in Arappuzhalam panchayat in Idukki district of Kerala is surrounded by forests all around. Every year during the rainy season the water level raises and consequently the area around the village become difficult to tread, especially for the aged and the children. The village is practically cut-off from the outside world.

This year too as continuous rains lashed the region, several houses on the outskirts of Moolamattom were cutoff from the outside world. The area being a forested one with rocky terrain, it also becomes slippery and dangerous to walk. For several months, buying necessary goods and other essentials would become difficult for many living on the outskirts.

Many like Sunny are cut off from their families who has constructed a small house on the outskirts of the village. He stays with his aged mother, wife and three children but during rainy season they were unable to travel to the nearby town of Moolamattom to buy necessary items. He was also unable to go to his work place in the town during rainy season as they were cut-off.

Volunteers of Seva Bharati came to know about their difficulty they faced during the rainy season. A Seva Bharati team visited the village and arranged for the necessary materials to build a temporary bamboo bridge. The volunteers built the bamboo bridge which enables those on the outskirts to walk to the nearest town.

Every year, people like Sunny were forced to commute to the nearest town only after the rains stopped and the water levels subsided. However this year due to the efforts of the volunteers of Seva Bhratai, many like Sunny have a bridge on which they can commute and buy essential items from Moolamattom. Thanks to the bridge, Sunny can now go to the town to his workplace too.

The service of the volunteers of Seva Bharati has been acknowledged and appreciated by the people of Moolamattom and the surrounding villagers.