Villagers' innovative step

People of Gangber village in Chapra union under Sadar upazila of the district have set an example of innovation by building a floating bridge over the Charalkata river at low cost utilising local resources.

They did that as the lone bamboo bridge over the river, which isolates the village from the mainland, gets washed away every year during flood, disrupting communication and causing immense sufferings to them.

“Every year, locals make a bamboo bridge with their own money and resources as the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is yet to build a concrete bridge,” said Chapra Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Khalilur Rahman.

“The bridge is swept away every year in the rainy season, snapping communication and compelling locals to pass their days without economic activities,” the chairman added.

Local UP member Khaliqul Islam said villagers formed a committee three months ago to find a way to solve the problem.

Committee president Shariful Islam said they decided to build a floating bridge using empty steel drums and bamboos so that the more the river swelled the more the bridge would rise with the water level.

“Raising funds from villagers, we bought 70 drums, 1,000 bamboos, nylon rope, iron pins and other necessary items,” said committee secretary Shahidul Islam.

Village youths worked voluntarily under carpenter Nur Hossain to make 35 rows of interconnected drums, each with two drums tied to a bamboo platform with nylon rope, and floated them on the water keeping a 4-foot gap between drums.

Both ends of the bridge were tied to giant trees on the banks of the river with thick metallic rope so that it does not get swept away by the current, Shahidul said, adding that a bamboo platform was laid on the drums and tied tightly.

Motorbikes and easybikes can cross the 240-foot-long bridge easily.

“The floating bridge has given us relief as we can now go to distant markets to sell agriculture produce even in the rainy season,” said farmer Jonab Ali, 60, of the village.

Day labourer Karimul, 45, said he can now go to other villages for work.

Upazila Engineer of LGED Saiful Islam said it is a great achievement as the villagers built the sustainable bridge at minimum cost and with local technology.

“People of Gangber village have shown that where there is a will there is a way, and resource constrains cannot stand in the way,” said Sadar Upazila Parishad Chairman Abu Jar Rahman.