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The Documentary: The forgotten people of the Ravi River

The forgotten people of the Ravi River

15/06/2024 GMT

BBC World Service - The Documentary, The forgotten people of the Ravi River

We meet the people in western India cut off from the mainland by a bridgeless river

We meet the people in western India cut off from the mainland by a bridgeless river.

For the hundreds of people who live in a cluster of villages in the 'no man's land' between India and Pakistan, a map drawn up long ago still causes daily struggles. Punjab - the land of the five rivers - was carved up to create Pakistan during The Partition of 1947 when India gained independence. Two rivers went to Pakistan, two stayed with India and one - the Ravi - crosses both countries. 

For 72 years, communities who live by the Ravi on the Indian side have been asking for a permanent bridge, so they can access hospitals, schools, shops, banks. What they have is a makeshift pontoon bridge, which has to be dismantled for the monsoon season. To get even the smallest thing from the mainland involves a difficult commute that has to be planned in advance. From June through September, the only way across is on a boat and a prayer. If the waters are too high, nobody can get across.

Journalist Chhavi Sachdev travels to the remote area in the western part of India to meet the Indian people whose lives are shaped by the Ravi.

Presenter: Chhavi Sachdev
Producer: Penny Dale
A Just Radio production for BBC World Service

(Photo: The makeshift pontoon bridge in Makaura Pattan. Credit: Navtej Singh)

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