A CORRESPONDENT
AZARA: Hundreds of people are visiting the newly-constructed floating bridge on the Brahmaputra every day to experience the river’s scenic beauty. The bridge has connected, for the first time, the agriculture-dominated Rani Chapori near Dharapur, following the special initiative of Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. Work on providing electricity to the river island is also progressing at a rapid pace.
Rani Chapori, located in the midstream of the Brahmaputra under the Azara revenue circle on the western fringe of Guwahati, is known as a major agricultural area. After constituency delimitation, the char has come under the Jalukbari Assembly constituency. To ensure better connectivity for farmers and provide electricity to the area, the Chief Minister had announced major infrastructure projects during Bhogali Bihu in 2025.
As per the announcement, construction of a 250-metre-long floating bridge has been completed at a cost of around Rs 1.5 crore to facilitate farmers’ movement during the dry season. Simultaneously, work on electrification of Rani Chapori, with an estimated cost of around Rs 6.5 crore, is underway in mission mode.
According to engineers of the Public Works Department, who are overseeing the project, the floating bridge will remain operational for nearly eight months a year. During the monsoon, when the river current exceeds three metres per second, the bridge will be dismantled for safety reasons. In the future, arrangements will be made for the movement of two-wheelers and three-wheelers. At present, however, only pedestrians are allowed to use the bridge due to technical and safety considerations.
Since its opening, a large number of visitors have been walking on the floating bridge from morning till evening to enjoy the natural beauty of the Brahmaputra. However, as the second floating bridge has not yet been constructed, visitors are unable to reach the entire stretch of Rani Chapori and have to return midway.
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