Deprived Of Basic Amenities, Ghumal Village Women In Odisha Build 1 KM Road In A Day
After years of official neglect, women and girls of Ghumal village in Mayurbhanj built a road all by themselves to restore basic connectivity.
Published : December 26, 2025 at 12:38 PM IST
Ghumal (Mayurbhanj): Peeved with administrative apathy, women and young girls of Ghumal village in Mayurbhanj district built a one-kilometre road on a single day after years of being deprived of basic amenities like connectivity and drinking water.
Ghumal, tagged the largest village under Badakuleivira Gram Panchayat of Jamda block, comprises three wards with over 250 families. It has more than 1,000 voters. Even then, the village lacks an all-weather road and access to safe drinking water.
Villagers said poor road conditions have affected them badly and makes life miserable during the monsoon. Schoolchildren wade through mud and water, while ambulances fail to reach the village during emergencies. The place does not have public transport services. While LAccMI buses operate up to nearby Rangamatia village, they do not enter Ghumal due to the absence of a proper road.
Despite repeated appeals to the block administration, no action was taken. Thus villagers decided to act on their own. Residents collected money from each household, and women and young girls worked together to construct a road connecting Rangamatia to Ghumal village.
Following the community initiative, villagers submitted a memorandum to Jamda Block BDO Debashish Panda with a demand to construct a permanent concrete road.
The village is also facing drinking water crisis. Although pipelines were laid a year ago under government scheme, water supply has not commenced. Villagers depend on ponds and other unsafe sources which many a time lead to health concerns.
Contacted, BDO Debashish Panda said the drinking water issue would be taken up with the Assistant Engineer of the Rairangpur RWSS division, while the matter of extending LAccMI bus services will be sorted out after discussing with transport officials.
Villager Pramila Mahanta said lack of roads has been the main reason why villagers face problems. “We collected money and have built a one-kilometre road in one day,” she said.
Another villager, Sanjay Mahanta, said they had lost patience on not being heard or their grievances not addressed. “Ambulances do not reach, buses do not run and people are falling sick due to iron-contaminated water. We are in trouble because none cares,” he alleged.
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