GUWAHATI: The state government has taken up a number of projects to boost road connectivity and bridge building in rural and far-flung areas. However, it is also a fact that such projects fall short of reaching some areas that continue to remain isolated because of topographical reasons. And one such area that has come to light recently in the Majuli district is Bhakat Chapori.
The Bhakat Chapori in the Majuli district comprises around 16 hamlets, which are very rich on the agriculture front. The area is famous for agricultural cultivation, sugarcane-producing jaggery, and mustard. However, for the past two months, the residents of these hamlets, including office-goers, students, and patients, have been going out of their area for any sort of work by country boat, risking their lives and limbs.
These hamlets had no connectivity to go to the mainland Majuli, like Kamalabari, Garmur, etc., as a stream (huti) of the Brahmaputra stands as the major barrier. After relentless demands, a few years ago, the government built a wooden bridge over the stream for the residents of these hamlets to go to and come from the rest of the areas of the river island. There were allegations regarding the quality of the timber used in the construction of the bridge at that time. The allegations came true on August 29 of this year, when the bridge could not survive the flood. Flood waters swept the bridge away. And since then, communication between Bhakat Chapori and the rest of the river island has remained sporadic.
And communication is a major hurdle for the villagers. The worst-affected are students who go to educational institutions outside Bhakat Chapori, as most of the colleges and high and higher secondary schools are on the mainland of the river island. As an immediate relief, the local administration has provided two country boats for the villagers to cross the stream. Since the water level of the Brahamaputra is still high, this stream is also maintaining a high water level that risks the lives of people, mostly students, who have to cross the stream daily. Since around 400 students cross the stream, the two boats take a long time, leading the students to miss their important classes. The situation is no different for office-goers and others, including patients.
Speaking to The Sentinel, Hemanta Bora, a youth hailing from the Bhakat Chapori area, said, “Only a physical visit to Bhakat Chapori can make one believe that people have to suffer in such a way in this technologically advanced age. The way students from Bhakat Chapori cross the stream of the Brahmaputra with country boats is hair-raising. They go to schools and colleges, risking their lives and limbs. Some go to Majuli College, some to Auniati Hem Chandra Higher Secondary School, etc. Our demand was a concrete bridge over the stream, but the government built a wooden bridge, and that too was of poor quality. It is high time the government accorded priority to the communication bottlenecks of Bhakat Chapori and built a concrete bridge over the stream without further delay, as the construction of a bridge takes time.”
The youth further said, “Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was in Majuli for campaigning during the last bye-poll to the Majuli LAC. The Chief Minister also came to Bhakat Chapori and assured the public of erecting a concrete bridge over the stream and that he would have a feast with the people of Bhakat Chapori. It is high time the Chief Minister met his commitment to the residents of Bhakat Chapori”.
This is just one example that needs urgent measures. There might be more such areas in the state needing immediate attention. It is imperative on the part of the government to identify them and take the necessary measures.
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