Forty villages across the Gomti lose touch with the world every monsoon

For roughly forty villages on the far bank of the Gomti in Barabanki district, the monsoon means four months of isolation. The only way across is a wooden boat, and it stops running as soon as the water rises.

Our team spent three days in these villages. To reach a hospital, families carry the sick on string cots on a nine-kilometre detour. School attendance falls to about half between July and September.

Villagers have filed at least six written requests for a bridge since 2011. An RTI reply shows the proposal moving between the Public Works Department, the Irrigation Department and the district panchayat, with no budget sanctioned by any of them.

Uncovered India has asked the district administration for a response. This report will be updated when it arrives.