Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Two wooden bridges collapsed in Assam, leaving the Lohit-Khabolu area totally isolated. The destruction happened within three days, severing connections to the rest of the Majuli district. Thousands now face a complete transit shutdown. Strong river currents brought down the second bridge on the Pathorichuk-Garmur PWD road this past Friday. The first bridge fell on July 29.
Roughly 15 villages under the Lohit-Khabolu Gaon Panchayat are stranded. Residents cannot reach the district headquarters at Garmur. This blocks access to hospitals, schools, and local markets. Daily commuters, the elderly, and those needing urgent medical care are trapped. Officials transferred this region from Lakhimpur to Majuli back in December 2021 to improve public service access. Locals say that plan failed. The ageing wooden structures suffered from a total lack of maintenance for years.
Locals pointed to long-term neglect as the primary cause for the wreckage. One resident noted, "Locals alleged that despite repeated appeals, the bridges were not adequately maintained, eventually leading to their collapse under the pressure of the swollen river." The community is now demanding action. They want the state government and the Public Works Department to build permanent reinforced cement concrete bridges to restore reliable, year-round access.
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