Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: A 300-metre iron bridge over the Kemi River vanished on Sunday. Floodwaters in Assam's Dhemaji district tore the structure apart. The collapse severed road links between Kemi-Purana Jelom and Jonai Sadar.
The river swelled fast. Heavy inflows from Arunachal Pradesh triggered the disaster. A resident said the water level rose sharply at 11 am: "The river's water level began rising sharply around 11 am and intensified within minutes." By 11:30 am, the current took the bridge.
Locals pointed fingers at the design. They warned officials during construction that iron could not handle the monsoon flow. They wanted a concrete bridge instead. Now the community pays the price.
Daily life is at a standstill. Students cannot reach their school with exams drawing near. Farmers are stuck too. They cannot get to their fields during the peak season. The region waits for a fix as high water levels persist.
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