RAIPUR: For decades, making a phone call from Tahkadoand village in the remote forests of Bastar's Abujhmarh region required climbing a hill or walking several kilometers to reach a road. That arduous routine of chasing signals has now ended with the installation of a mobile tower in the village, bringing direct connectivity to one of Chhattisgarh's most inaccessible pockets, an area once dominated by Maoists.
Emergency Response Transformed
The most significant change, officials said, will be in emergency response. Villagers can now call 108 ambulance services during medical emergencies and contact health centers or authorities without delay. This is a critical shift in a region where distance and lack of communication often determine access to treatment. Previously, residents had to travel outside the village to make calls or use the internet, leaving them isolated in times of crisis.
Details of the Village and Connectivity
Tahkadoand is a small hamlet under the larger Metanar gram panchayat in Orchha block of Narayanpur district. Before the tower installation, there was no mobile signal at all in this area—people could neither make calls nor use the internet unless they traveled elsewhere. Now, with the mobile tower operational, villagers can use phones and internet right from their homes, eliminating the need to leave the village for communication.
Benefits for Residents
Narayanpur collector Namrata Jain said the tower would strengthen connectivity in difficult terrain and help deliver government services to the last mile. The facility will directly benefit Tahkadoand, with a population of 125, Kader with 139 residents, and Brehbeda with 120 residents, the collector added. The network will also make it easier for residents to access welfare scheme information, digital payments, online applications, banking, and other e-governance services.
This development marks a significant step toward bridging the digital divide in one of India's most remote regions, ensuring that even the most isolated communities can stay connected and access essential services.
