Siraha. Siraha: The daily routine of the residents of Bhuskulia tole of Siraha municipality-6, who have been struggling with mud and dust for decades, has now changed. The recently constructed rcca road on the RCC slope has changed the nature of the kutcha settlement. Most of the houses in the settlement are made of bamboo and mud.

With nearly 150 households, the settlement has a paved road that shines from a distance, sending a new message of hope and joy to the community. After years of waiting and struggle, the local residents have realized that the dream of a ‘mud-free village’ has been fulfilled.

The 500-metre-long road has been constructed at a budget of Rs 2.5 million by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development under the Madhes state government. Ward chair Indrajit Yadav had coordinated the construction of the road. This project has brought new hope and happiness to the settlement.

“We had promised before the elections that we will make this settlement mud-free. Today that dream has come true. Pramod Yadav, a member of the Provincial Assembly of the region, is equally supportive of this. According to him, if there was a small rain before the construction of the road, the settlement would be submerged in mud, due to the dust, the health of children to the elderly would be affected. Now, the face of the settlement has changed due to the paved road hanging from a distance.

Sonu Yadav, a local, said, “Earlier, people who used to see our settlement used to scratch their noses and save lives. We were ashamed to call guests ourselves. Now its form has changed. Now children in our neighborhood are also happy, there is no fear of clothes getting dirty while going to school, even the elderly can walk easily. ’

According to Ward Chair Yadav, most of the lower class families live in Bhuskulia tole. Of the nearly 150 houses, only five are pucca and most of the remaining houses are built on raw structures. “We had to wait for many years for basic facilities like roads, drains and drinking water as the economic condition of this settlement was weak,” he said. Now after the construction of the road, there has been a positive change in the lifestyle here. ’

Raju Yadav, a technician at the Infrastructure Development Office, Siraha, said that RCC slope technology would be more suitable instead of blacktopping roads for branch roads to be constructed in rural areas. He said, “RCC slopes are suitable on the branch roads of the villages. It brings sustainability to the road and will be sustainable in the long run. ’

According to him, although the traffic on the roads in the rural areas is less on a daily basis, the blacktopped roads are quickly damaged due to the lack of proper drainage system, water flow, mud, dust and proper drainage system. Such roads need to be repaired every year, which increases both time, labor and cost. Such structures are especially effective in areas where the water level is not removed, shaky or bumpy.

Hope now: Dream of making the house pucca

Bhuskuliya’s houses are still muddy, but the road has opened the door to development. Now the new dream of the residents here is to build pucca houses along with pucca roads. Ward Chair Yadav says, “Our focus is now on the overall development of the settlement. We are also planning to improve education, health and housing. ’

This muddy settlement, which has struggled with dust and mud for years, is looking for alternatives to houses made of bamboo, mud and zinc. Locals are worried about the inundation during the rainy season. Laxmi Sah, a 72-year-old man, said, “If it rained, we had to collect mud by placing buckets inside the house. It’s easier to walk outside now. Now that the government should provide some help, we will also try to strengthen the house. ’

Ward chair Yadav said they are taking initiatives to provide assistance under the housing programme. According to him, plans for community building, access to drinking water and development of small business skills are also being gradually brought forward in the settlement. In fact, the road of Bhuskulia is not just a slope, it is a path of dreams, possibilities and honors. Today the road has been paved and the people of the settlement have started living in the belief that the house will be paved tomorrow.