IMPHAL, May 20: Many villages surrounding Heirok part-II have been cut off from rest of the district owing to the failure of the state government to make any alternative arrangement for connecting the villages since a bridge, the only lifeline to access to adjacent areas, was swept away during a flood in 2015.
Villages like Heirok part III, Enganglok and those which fall under the Chandel districts like Thamlai, Konaitong, Wabaching etc have been solely depending on facilities available in Heirok part-II ranging from schools, health care and other essential services.
However, since the RCC bridge that was the only lifeline connecting the villages to other parts of the districts particularly Heirok part-II, was damaged they have been facing untold hardship to get across the river.
With no alternative or temporary arrangement made till date, the villagers on the other side of the river, Heirok Part-II, had to physically get in the river to get to the other side.
But, owing to the incessant rain since the past few days, the volume of the river have risen to such an extent that it is flowing at warning level, making it impossible to cross.
Above all, students have stopped attending their schools and the villagers are extremely worried in case any medical emergencies arose.
The Heirok RCC bridge was constructed in 2009 with an estimated cost of Rs 1.60 crores under the funding of NLCPR.
According to a local man of Heirok Part-II, the local MLA personally inspected the site where the bridge stood on the following day after it was swept away.
During the inspection the MLA assured a new bridge to the villagers within 6 months time, he said.
“Set aside building a new bridge the MLA has failed to construct a temporary bridge made of wood”, he rued.
The local MLA and the state government must take full responsibility of the hardship being faced by the villagers, he opined.