Ranchi, Nov. 5: A broken bridge and an indifferent government have spelt good fortune for villagers of Kolebira.

The local people do not want the state government to construct a new bridge connecting Kolebira with Khunti and Ranchi, as they earn some fast money by helping vehicles, which get stuck in sand while crossing the river. The bridge, which was built over the river Barai at Pelol, broke down early in August due to the incessant rains.

“The broken bridge has brought us some fortune. Everyday at least a dozen four-wheelers gets stuck in the sand trying to traverse the river. We help them by charging Rs 50 and our daily income escalates to about Rs 1,000. All this has been possible due to one broken bridge,” said Shyam Lohra, a villager.

When The Telegraph team was returning from Simdega after attending the birthday party of state transport and rural development minister Anosh Ekka’s son, its van also got stuck in the sand.

Knowing that the team belongs to a newspaper, the local youths, four in number, charged only Rs 20. The bridge is situated about 80 km from Kolebira and the road comes under the state highway. But there is nobody, including a host of political honchos who were frequent travellers on the route, to shoulder the responsibilities of repairing the bridge.

“This is the only path which connects Kolebira with Simdega, Ranchi, and neighbouring states like Orissa and Chhattishgarh. Crossing through the sandy river is always a nightmare for us,” said Umashankar Singh, a truck driver, whose vehicle was caught unawares in the muddy river.

Khunti subdivisional police officer Madhusudan Bari said the area is sensitive and the police have to take a 15-km detour to visit the place. “The raiding teams came across several problems due to the broken bridge. We do not know when it is going to be built,” said the officer.

Engineer-in-chief of the state road construction department Gopal Chandra Oroan said: “We are planning to construct a diversion, which would cost somewhere around Rs 26 lakh. As far as construction of the new bridge is concerned, it should take at least two years from now.”