Villagers use a country boat to commute at a Jajpur village. Telegraph picture.

Jajpur, April 22: For nearly 25,000 villagers of three gram panchayat areas in the outskirts of the headquarter town, commuting is still a huge problem as road links do not exist. The only transport system that the residents bank on are country boats.

Surrounded by the Kharasrota river and its tributary Tantighai, normal life in 23 villages in the gram panchayats of Bhanara, Chhatis Debiland and Bodua is affected due to inaccessibility.

In the absence of bridges over Kharasrota andTantighai, country boat service from Kamalpur ghat and Tantighai ghat remains the lone link to the outside world.

“We are locked by two rivers and our life is crippled due to inaccessibility. Country boats are the only mode of transport,” said Baisnab Charan Biswal, a septuagenarian of Risipur village.

Country boats had become part of our life for ages, he said and added that people preferred to stay home than venture out when the service doesn’t run.

Country boats are not only used to ferry passengers but also carry two-wheelers, bicycles, goods and even construction materials.

“We ferry passengers, vehicles and construction materials such as, bricks, stones, cement and iron,” said Chagala, a boatman.

“For most of us, the day starts with an enquiry about the boat service. If the boat service at Tantighai and Kamalpur ghats is not available, none leave or come to this area,” said Gopal Charan Biswal, former sarpanch of Chhatis Debil panchayat.

Though these panchayats house government-runschools, teachers rarely turn up due to the region’s inaccessibility. Medical facility also eludes the residents as their villages remain cut-off from mainland.

The sufferings of the people have been multiplied due to the area’s inaccessibility. Villagers say that every household commodity and other materials have to bought at a higher price in this area.

“We have to purchase several grocery items at a higher price as these have to be procured from outside. The articles becomes costlier when it reaches here as the traders add transportation cost to the offer price,” said villager Niranjan Rout.