Pressure groups in North Garo Hills met with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today to seek his intervention into the strategically important bridge in Gairong, which is on the verge of collapse.
The bridge has allegedly been used by masses of illegal coal trucks carrying tonnes of coal clandestinely into the nearby Goalpara district of Assam.
The bridge is in a precarious state, leading to many local residents fearing its immediate collapse.
In the memo to the CM, the NGOs highlighted the importance of the bridge to the local populace and why it needed to be immediately looked into.
“The bridge is the lifeline of people living on both sides of the river. It is also the only route to the seed farm at Sambrak and to the Community and Rural Development Block of Kharkutta. There are no alternative routes for the local population living around the areas,” said the NGOs.
The dilapidated bridge apparently collapsed on March 1, leading to students, teachers, parents, businessmen, patients and daily wage earners being affected.
The situation with the bridge, locals say, is such that even an auto rickshaw on it could bring down the entire structure.
