Maharashtra: In Palghar, roads connecting hamlets washed away, villagers a worried lot

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The washing away of roads connecting various hamlets to nearby places due to heavy rain in Palghar has many villagers worried, as it has cut off access to necessary services.

Vinay Mukane, a resident of Chauthyachiwadi in Palghar’s Jawhar taluka, is among those worried as the road from his village to Jawhar was washed away on August 5. He cannot take his daughter, who is suffering from fever, to the nearest health centre. “There is a health centre in the village but the staff has not come and medicines are limited too,” Mukane said.

The Jawhar-Wada road is one of the many roads in the district that have faced severe damage during the heavy showers last week. “The road linking Jawhar to Jhakur in Wada was washed away. After the water receded, we realised there were deep cracks on it. It has now been shut… We have to walk for five kilometres to get to Jawhar,” Mukane said.

However, Palghar Collector Kailash Shinde said that an alternate route to the village was being used. “The residents have been using the Jawhar Nashik road, which is a few kilometres from the village… The road connecting Chauthyachiwadi and Jawhar had developed cracks and it will take a week to repair it, as rainfall is hindering work.”

For Mukane, the alternative route is not an option, as he dosn’t own a car and can’t walk with his sick daughter. “I will arrange for a vehicle from a neighbouring village in case her fever doesn’t go down to take her to Jawhar. We hope the road is opened before that,” he said.

In Palghar, incessant rain and rivers in spate over the last weekend had wrecked havoc with some talukas being completely inaccessible by road. However, Shinde said: “As of now, there are no villages that are completely inaccessible, as we have identified alternative routes.”