Villagers carry a body for last rites. Death due to snake bite is common in the island

Separated from the mainland and neglected by successive state governments since Independence, the residents of Ghoraberia-Chitnan-Bhatora, Howrah’s only island, appear to have resigned to their fate of a life of hardship. The life of the islanders, here, surrounded by rivers Roopnarayan and Mundeswari is nothing but a never-ending struggle for existence.

There are two gram panchayats in the island – Bhatora and Ghoraberia-Chitnan. There are two villages under the Bhatora gram panchayat – Uttar Bhatora and Dakshin Bhatora. And the five villages under Ghoraberia-Chitnan gram panchayat include Ghoraberia, Chitnan, Haatgacha, Beral and Mirgram.

There are no roads, no public transport, no health care, no potable water, no qualified doctors in the island. Officers from the district administration hardly visit the island and politicians visit only before elections to read out a long list of development projects that never materialise. Though most of the people of the island are farmers, there is no irrigation system that can help them reap two crops a year. A sizeable section of the population are daily labourers, who visit the mainland everyday in search of jobs.

Villagers at the health centre being treated by a pharmacist. Pictures by Anup Bhattacharya

Nature is also unkind to the islanders. Being surrounded by two mighty rivers and being on the line of the spillover zone of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), flood is a perennial sorrow in the life of the islanders. There are instances when pregnant women and critically ill patients have died on their way to hospitals.

There are nearly two dozens primary schools and at least four high schools in the island but there isn’t a single college. Young boys and girls have to go all the way to Bagnan or Amta in Howrah or to Tamluk in west Midnapore for higher studies.

The things that the island lacks is long and unending yet people fight all odds and stay put looking forward with hope that the promises made by the politicians will be fulfilled one day.

Health care

Till the early seventies, there wasn’t even a health centre at the island. In 1974, the then state health minister, Ajit Panja, laid the foundation stone of the South Bhatora Primary Health Center. There is a general out patient department (OPD) in the centre where there are no qualified doctors. The pharmacists distribute medicines among the patients judging their symptoms. There is no labour room for women, no anti-venom for treatment of snake bites. Supply of medicines is inadequate. Yet people visit this health center in droves. “Every day, 200 to 300 patients from different parts of the island visit this health centre. There is no dearth of medicines here,” claims Kesabananda Roy, the pharmacist. Apart from Roy, the health centre has a nurse and four group D staff.

A three-bed hospital is now under construction near the health centre with funds from the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). “We have to take critical patients and women with labour pain either to Bagnan hospital or to Jaipur hospital. But taking them there is not easy. The road is so bad that they cannot be taken in trolley vans. Patients are carried in bamboo stretchers to the river. Sometimes after reaching the river bank, we cannot find a boat. Many patients die on the way,” said Ersad Ali, a resident of Dakshin Bhatora.

Since there is no dearth of venomous snakes during monsoon, incidents of snake bites are common. Since the health centre has no stock of anti venom, the patients have to be rushed to Bagnan or Uluberia hospitals. “For the last six months, we have engaged a non-government organisation, Kharigeria Jana-kalyan Samity, for providing emergency medical treatment,” said Dr Abhijit Bhattacharya, block medical officer of health (BMOH).

Transport

But in the absence of any public transport, people have to travel from one end of the island to another only on foot or in bicycles. There is no concrete or asphalt road in the island. Brick roads criss-cross the island where even trolley vans cannot ply. “People avoid riding trolley vans here because the ride is so uneven that it causes body ache. So people either travel in bicycles or on foot. But that takes up a lot of time,” said Sumser Mollah, a resident of Chitnan. Even materials like brick, sand and cement needed to build houses have to be carried in bicycles. During flood, the island is submerged and people travel in rafters made of banana stem.

Islanders travel in boats to the mainland and (right) the island is criss-crossed with brick roads

Mina Ghosh Mukherjee, sabhadhipati, Howrah Zilla Parishad, admitted that the condition of the roads in the island was pitiable but she cited huge construction costs as a deterrent to build concrete roads. “Since the island is flooded every year during monsoon, it becomes difficult to construct roads here. It entails huge cost that cannot be funded by us alone,” she said.

The foundation stone of Kuila Bridge for connecting the island with the rest of the district was laid twice – first in 2006 by the Public Works Department and then in 2008 by the Howrah Zilla Parishad on the bank of Mundeswari river. Both the projects were part of the rural connectivity scheme but nothing came out of them. Today, it is difficult to locate the spot where the foundation stone was laid as it is covered with undergrowth. “The foundation stone was laid by the state government in 2006 just before Assembly elections. Zilla Parishad laid the foundation stone of the bridge in 2008 just before panchayat elections. Both turned out to be gimmicks by political parties. We have been cheated by the political parties since Independence,” said Abdur Samad Mullick, a local.

The foundation stone for the Kuila bridge

People of the island reach Bagnan after crossing Mundeswari river by boat near Kuila located on the east of the island and on the west they have to cross Roopnarayan near Bhatora to reach Gopigunge in west Midnapore to buy medicines, garments, building materials and other things. Those who live near Roopnarayan prefer to visit west Midnapore. Many boys and girls get admitted to colleges in west Midnapore. “It takes me two-and-half hours to reach Bagnan station. I have to first walk half-an-hour to reach the ferry ghat from my home, then it takes me another hour to reach Bagnan station in an auto rickshaw or motor van,” said Bankim Roy, a resident of Chitnan.

During monsoon, it takes more time to reach the mainland as the roads turn slushy and in the low-lying areas, the roads go under water. One has to walk carefully or there is every chance of slipping and falling. “We have sent the proposal for Kuila bridge to the state Panchayat and Rural Development department and keep requesting them to sanction funds as soon as possible so we can start the construction work but so far we have not got any positive response from them,” said Liakat Ali, a Zilla Parishad member from the island.

Education

There are at least 25 primary schools and five high schools in the island. But there is not a single college. After passing HS, the students have to either get admission in Howrah’s Bagnan college or Jaipur college. This entails spending four hours on travel. “We become so tired after reaching home that there is little energy left for studies,” said Sabina Khatun, a first year Bengali Honours student of Bagnan college.

Those who live near the Roopnarayan river prefer to cross over to west Midnapore and take admission in Ghantal college or Chaighat college.

Agriculture

More than 60 per cent of the people in the island are farmers and there is 833 acres of agriculture land. However, apart from the areas close to Roopnarayan and Mundeswari rivers, most of the land remains dry during boro cultivation. They depend on kharif cultivation during monsoon. “During the tenure of Siddhartha Sankar Roy, 28 River Lifting Irrigation (RLI) systems were set up in the island for the farmers to do boro cultivation during dry season. But now most of the RLIs have become inoperative due to lack of maintenance,” said Asit Mitra, MLA from Amta. Apart from rice, potato, jute and potol (pointed gourd) are produced in the island.