In Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, a region long plagued by Left-Wing Extremism, mobile towers have become a powerful tool for transformation — connecting remote villages to the digital world and slowly pulling them into the national mainstream.
Spanning 6,500 sq km, Bijapur is the worst-affected district in the Bastar region, where development has been a steep uphill battle. Maoists view mobile connectivity as a threat, often targeting towers to block communication that could aid police informers. Since 2022, they’ve torched eight mobile towers, six of them in just the last 18 months.
Yet, this very period has seen a remarkable turnaround. Between January 2024 and June 2025, officials have installed 48 towers, double the number put up in 2022-23. These new installations now provide mobile network coverage to 110 villages, including many once cut off from the outside world.
A recent installation in Kutru, a site that witnessed a deadly IED blast in January, marks both a symbolic and logistical breakthrough. District Collector Sambit Mishra noted that around 300 of Bijapur’s villages now have network access, with more planned under ongoing initiatives. Still, nearly 400 villages remain out of reach.
SP Jitendra Kumar Yadav explained that towers are often installed near security camps due to threats and difficult terrain. “Every tower installed is a step toward digital inclusion, emergency access, and financial services,” he said, adding that villagers’ gratitude fuels their perseverance.