Goa, July 19 -- Sanguem, July 19 - For over 15 years, residents of Bankal Wada, a remote hamlet in Goa's Sanguem constituency, have been living in isolation due to the lack of a proper bridge across the Kushawati River. Despite repeated appeals, the predominantly Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in the area continues to face grave challenges - from daily commutes to medical emergencies - with no help in sight.

With no government support, villagers have been constructing a makeshift wooden bridge each year, using their own funds. This fragile structure, tied between two aging trees with electric wires and lacking any foundation, is highly unsafe. During monsoon floods or strong winds, it either submerges or becomes dangerously unstable. The...