Chikkamagaluru: On the other side of the Tunga River is the Harebilalu Village in the Sringeri Taluk of the District. The residents’ lives are miserable during the rainy season since there is no way for them to cross the river. Their appeal for the administration to build a bridge has been ignored. So they went ahead and constructed a footbridge themselves.
In Harebilalu village, there are over 50 families. For them to attend school and work to provide for themselves, they must cross the river. They are cut off from the outside world for approximately three to four months during the rainy season.
If a bridge across the Tunga river is not available, the residents must walk 14 kilometres to get to the town. They worked for months to build a footbridge themselves after making numerous requests that were ignored. However, they have shown that the villages are willing to challenge the administration if they choose to do so.