IMPHAL, April 18: The Heirok Litan (Chingdompok) Bridge which broke down in two during last year’s flood on July 30, 2015 is yet to be repaired or reconstructed by the concerned authorities, which has made the people of the villages which were earlier connected by the bridge to face untold hardship and miseries.
What is more surprising is that although it is already more than nine months since the bridge collapsed, the authorities concerned have failed to initiate any action to at least construct a wooden bridge or suspension bridge as a temporary replacement until a proper bridge is constructed or the earlier bridge is repaired.
The authorities are yet to repair the damage suffered by the Champrathong connecting Heirok Part 2 and Part 3 during the same flood last year, despite assurance from the government that there are plans to construct a new bridge.
It may be mentioned that the two RCC bridges constructed by the Works department with NLCPR funding were inaugurated on December 7, 2009. The Chingdompok Bridge was constructed at the cost of Rs. 1.60 crore and the Champrathong was constructed at the cost of Rs. 1 crore.
Villagers from around the two bridges have also demanded how two RCC bridges inaugurated only recently could be washed away so easily by the flood.
This could only mean that there was no quality control during construction of the two bridges, they lamented.
The Heirok Litan Bridge is an important bridge connecting Thoubal and Chandel districts.
Since the bridge collapse, villagers from some localities of Heirok Part 3 especially Heirok Thong Wangma, Heirok Enganglok and of some interior villages of Chandel district including Konaitong and Thabi Keithel have to walk along the river bed to cross it.
School going students and pregnant women are using a small bamboo bridge to cross the river.
During the night, when there is a load shedding, it is immensely difficult for the people.
The villagers have appealed to the government and the concerned authorities to look into the issue at the earliest.
On the other hand, Champrathong is presently in a dangerous condition.
The bridge connects Heirok with Kairembikhok, Salungpham and other villages.
Meanwhile, the Youth Development Club, Heirok part 3 Litan Wangma has warned to take up serious forms of agitations if the government fail to look into the issue.
A statement of the club said that if the government is unable to construct new buildings, temporary bridges on which four-wheelers could pass should be constructed before the arrival of monsoon.