Voters take boat ride to cast votes in Danapur diara

Patna: Nothing could stop these voters — neither limited connectivity through river Ganga not a dismantled pontoon bridge — to exercise their franchise on Thursday as Bihar went to the first phase of assembly polls.The diara areas in the Danapur constituency of Patna district, which are prone to flooding and have limited connectivity, presented a unique challenge for voters, but they overcame these obstacles to exercise their franchise, as many used steamers and country boats to travel to their native places.A steamer was operated from Nasriganj Ghat in Danapur, where the electors availed its services to travel, even with their two-wheelers, to their native villages in the riverine area.The scenario at the ghat highlighted the commitment of the people, despite the difficulties they face in accessing polling stations.Parmal Rai, a native of Panapur diara village, said he lived in Anand Bazar locality near Saguna More as there is no educational facility in his village for his children. “My wife and I chose to return to my village for voting by a country boat as the pontoon bridge, which was dismantled before the monsoon, is still not installed,” said Rai.

Many people like Rai live in Danapur and neighbouring areas to eke out a living as there is still a lack of schools and employment opportinities in the diara area villages. There is still no road connectivity from Danapur to diara. The people have to rely on a pontoon bridge near Pipa Pul Ghat in Danapur, however, during monsoon every year, it is dismantled by the administration due to the rise in the river Ganga level.So the natives of the diara have to travel by the 100-seater steamer or use the country boats.“I recently returned to my village from Bengaluru for Chhath. My family lives in rented accommodation on Gola Road in Danapur but our polling booth was located in the diara region, so we chose to travel there by the steamer,” said Ravindra Rai, a resident of Hetanpur village.However, some people also complained that the local boat service was suspended from other Ganga ghats in Danapur by the administration a day ago. “Now how will we reach the polling centre for voting,” asked Runnu Kumari Devi, a resident of Bara Qasimchak village.