Where calls needed mountain climb, mobile signal now comes home in Abujhmarh village

RAIPUR: For decades, a phone call from Tahkadoand village in the remote forests of Bastar's Abujhmarh meant climbing a hill or walking several kilometres to reach a road. That 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, and once dominated by Maoists.The biggest change, officials said, will be in emergency response. Villagers can now call 108 ambulance services during medical emergencies and contact health centres or authorities without delay — a critical shift in a region where distance and lack of communication often decide access to treatment.Tahkadoand is a small hamlet under the larger Metanar gram panchayat in Orchha block of Narayanpur district. Earlier, there was no mobile signal at all in this area—people couldn’t make calls or use the internet unless they travelled elsewhere.Now, with a mobile tower installed, villagers can use phones and internet right from their homes, without having to go outside the village.Narayanpur collector Namrata Jain said the tower would strengthen connectivity in difficult terrain and help take govt 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, collector said.The network will also make it easier for residents to access welfare scheme information, digital payments, online applications, banking and other e-governance services.