Residents of a remote tribal hamlet in Barwani district have taken matters into their own hands, building a road they had waited years for the government to provide. For years, the lack of a road meant pregnant women, patients, and elderly residents had to be carried across rugged terrain in makeshift slings to reach transport and medical care. Armed with spades, pickaxes, and their own savings, villagers of Khodi Palas Faliya under Ubadgarh Gram Panchayat have spent the past week cutting a motorable route through hills and forest land.
Community-driven initiative
Frustrated by poor connectivity and unfulfilled promises, families pooled around Rs 10,000 each, hired an earth-moving machine, and launched a community-driven road project. In just over a week, they have paved nearly one kilometre of the stretch and are now planning to raise more funds to extend it further.
Decades of isolation
Home to more than 250 people across 30-35 households, the hamlet has remained disconnected from the main road network despite repeated demands. Villagers said election-time assurances rarely translated into action. Residents recalled the recent case of 14-year-old Sakharam, who had to be carried in a sling to a local practitioner after falling ill because there was no road or transport facility connecting the settlement to the outside world.
For years, village youth Mohan’s most difficult journeys were not to the market or his fields, but carrying pregnant women and critically ill villagers in makeshift slings across rocky hills to the nearest road where a vehicle could be found. This week, instead of carrying patients, he has been spending hours digging, levelling, and clearing land to build a road for his village.
“Pregnant women and sick persons often had to be carried in makeshift slings because there was no road. We kept approaching authorities, but nothing happened. We have completed nearly one kilometre of road, but our funds are exhausted. We will raise more money and construct another kilometre within a week,” Mohan said.
Women's crucial role
Women have also played a key role in the effort. “After finishing household chores and preparing meals, I join other villagers in road construction. Apart from carrying drinking water, residents have to transport fertilisers, seeds, and agricultural equipment on their heads along the rough and uneven track. The journey often leaves people exhausted and unwell,” said Rumti Bai.
The problem worsens during the monsoon when the route becomes muddy and often impassable, disrupting access to schools, healthcare, and markets.
Official response
Responding to the issue, Barwani SDM Bhupendra Rawat said, “The settlement is located in a forest area and the matter is under examination. Surveys of such habitations are underway to identify locations lacking connectivity and assess their eligibility for road infrastructure projects.”
Ankit Awasthi, general manager of the Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority, told TOI, “Ubadgarh is already connected by a cement-concrete road. However, to improve connectivity between its individual hamlets, the particular road has been included under the Chief Minister Majra-Tola Road Scheme, and its survey has already been completed.” He further said that under this scheme, habitations with a population of 100 or more people are being connected to the road network.
Officials cited forest land regulations and land ownership issues as hurdles to road construction in the region. But for the residents of Khodi Palas Faliya, the wait had stretched long enough. Like Manjhi before them, they chose not to wait for a road — they built one.
