SAKAV

'If I try to dig my memory to largest possible extent then at farthest end; I remember that I am crossing a foot bridge. I am finding it difficult to cross that wooden bridge. Each step I  move ahead, fear is creeping deep inside me; I can feel that bamboo laid on bridge are not fully rigid . I can sense their movement. I reached centre of bridge but luckily I am not alone there. My father was holding my hand.'

It was first time when I came across 'savak'. Soon, these bridges changed to concrete ones and conditions turned better. Actually this savak (foot bridge) is used to connect Mahalaxmi Temple with main village. Since this temple being very precious to us, we have been visiting it by crossing sakav since my childhood. Unfortunately this place is always facing scarcity of government support due its remoteness. Bridge was a prime victim of monsoon flooding. Today it has touched ground but since its construction, I have seen different phases its life which are very funny and interesting. It was constructed way back.

Bringing construction material to such site was not easy those days.

It had been serving villagers for many years till construction of new one, but with jugads. Probably it was the civil engineer who couldn't calculate right stress strain values or the contractor did not understand those values, soon flooding damaged both side steps of bridge; which were then retrofitted by villagers. This exercise was carried out whenever it used to collapse due to flooding. Crossing sakav under such conditions was little fun and adventurous too. Meanwhile a weird changed was observed. Middle support pillar started tilting towards upstream stream of river. Two three years later, walking platform of bridge took S shape which can be seen in picture also. Though this 'jugad.com' was not safer specially for old people but there was no choice left. Actually number of people crossing it were limited except one occasion ie yearly annual festival 'SAPTah!!''. There also jugad.com was used very effectively; one indigenously designed small temporary bridge would be constructed parallel to it and interim river crossing facility was provided to bulk of people to cross it.

Now all these troubles  have been removed because there is  another bridge constructed near it. Everyone started using shortest resistance path and this old bridge got neglected. Last time when I had been there, I could not see it because the tilting of pillar had exceeded limit and whole bridge found collapse in river. Now I am left with few old memories and snaps. So just thought of sharing with all :)