Ranikor MLA and Langrin MDC Pius Marwein has urged the state government to pay maximum compensation to the families of the six victims who lost their lives in the Tihiang River tragedy in South West Khasi Hills on September 22.
“I have visited the aggrieved families and I have done whatever can be done at my level and the district Administration is also doing their part but I urge the state government to pay maximum compensation to the families of all six victims to somehow compensate for their great loss,” Marwein told Highland Post, adding that he plans to meet Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla tomorrow.
“One family lost its mother and two children while another family lost their father who was the breadwinner and the driver in the tragic incident left behind seven children and his wife. Another family lost a mother and a child and all the families are in great pain,” he said.
Marwein further said that the road system in the Warsan Lyngdoh area where the tragic incident occurred and most of the roads in the constituency are pathetic.
Informing that the bridge that was washed away, leading to the ill-fated vehicle attempting to cross the river directly, was not built by the Public Works Department but the Border Area Development Programme and was constructed in around 2016-2017, he said, “I use to travel this area frequently and I know that it is not possible to repair the bridge as long as the rain does not subside. We have to believe the contractor who said that the bridge can only be repaired from October onwards after the incessant rain has subsided.”
He however informed that the PWD had started the construction work of the 9km road from Umjarain to Nongrynniang and had taken a different alignment but owing to the pandemic, and incessant rainfall, the construction work was delayed in the area.
He lamented that as long as road systems in the area are not addressed it is pointless to even talk about other development.
