Tharus build 1.4-km road through collective effort in West Champaran

Bettiah: Members of the Tharu community in Padkapa village under Deoria Taruanwa panchayat in Bagaha-II block of West Champaran have built a 1,400-metre-long earthen road through voluntary labour and public contributions after years of neglect left the route virtually unusable.

The road, which connects the village to agricultural fields near the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) forest area, is the only access route for farming activities. During the monsoon, water flowing from the forest would inundate the stretch, making movement of tractors, bullock carts and pedestrians extremely difficult.

Faced with recurring hardship and no immediate solution, villagers held a meeting a week ago and resolved to construct the road themselves. They collectively raised around Rs 80,000 and launched the work through “shramdaan”.

Gumasta Raghunath Kaji and Paras Kaji said villagers collected the money through donations. “With this amount, 10 tractors were engaged for earth-filling work. Since suitable soil was not available nearby, it had to be transported from nearly 2km away. So far, around 500 trailer-loads of soil have been used for the road,” they said.

Nearly 300 men and women have joined the effort, working together to restore the crucial link before the arrival of the rain. Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood in the village, making reliable access to fields essential.

Deoria Taruanwa panchayat mukhiya representative Sanjay Kumar Ojhaiya said, “The tradition of shramdaan (voluntary labour) and collective cooperation has existed in the Tharu community for generations. Community members have regularly come together for activities such as cleaning irrigation channels, repairing roads and carrying out other public works. This road is a lifeline for farmers, which is why villagers have taken the initiative to repair it themselves.”

He added that efforts would continue to further improve the road in the next phase.

Social worker Sheshnath Mahto said the earth-filling work would continue for five days. “Women are leading from the front in the road repair work and are actively contributing by using spades and shovels,” he said.