By Alex Guite
LAMKA, August 25: A team of Churachandpur based media persons accompanied representatives of the Tipaimukh Road Area Transport Development Association to inspect a damaged bailey bridge along the Tipaimukh Road at Sabual Village in Churachandpur district.
The team was led by the association`™s chairman G Lalpi.
The condition of the bridge is blocking commuting along the route bringing hardship to many villages which are virtually cut off from the main Lamka Town.
The bridge acts as a major bridge for the people of Henglep, Thanlon and Tipaimukh sub divisions of the district.
However, due to its deplorable condition, road communication along the route has been totally blocked since the past three days.
According to Lalpi, other than the private vehicles, around 50 commercial vehicles under the association also ply to and fro along this route everyday.
The condition of the bridge is due to the negligence of the concern authorities, he claimed.
A team of the 80 Road Construction Company of the BRTF had come with a JCB to start work on the bridge but failed to.
Residents of the surrounding areas also tried to block the road diversions from the route today citing that until a stronger agitation is launched, the BRTF will again take it for granted and further delay construction of the important bridge as they did in Tuilumzang Village.
In Tuilumzang, the residents claimed that, the BRTF had delayed or rather discontinued construction of a bridge after a diversion was identified and only providing assurance to complete the bridge construction in time.
It may be mentioned that the National Highway 150 also known as the Tipaimukh Road is under the jurisdiction of the BRTF`™s 80 RCC.
A team of the 80 RCC came today to check the Sabual Bridge. An official on conditions of anonymity claimed that the problem of the villagers is their own; however, construction of the new bridge will take atleast a week`™s time.
Meanwhile, the villagers are facing problems in transportation of the sick, children, and transportation of essential commodities even as the construction work is going to take some more time.
A mother of three, Lhingboi who is from a nearby village affected by the bridge damage said the authorities concern have time and again made promises to repair the road at the earliest, but has failed to turn the assurances to work which is only hurting the people.
Mention may be made that there are three Road construction Company (RCC) under BRTF in Ccpur and this road and bridge construction at Tipaimuk Road /NH -150 falls under the jurisdiction of the BRTF `s 80th RCC.