Bridge left half-constructed for over 2 years at Phoolbari in Lakhimpur district

People demand the removal of the contractor, construction of two more bridges on Phoolbari-Naharani PWD Road

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: An RCC bridge left unconstructed for over two-and-half years has resulted in massive public reaction in the Phoolbari Gaon Panchayat area under Naoboicha LAC in Lakhimpur district. Regarding the issue, the local people of the area have raised strong demand to remove the contractor of the scheme and to complete the construction of the bridge within the month of April by engaging another contractor.

Notably, a 50-foot long stretch of Sivasagaria-Udaypur connecting road at No 1 and No 2 Hatiyemora villages under the said Gaon Panchayat was breached by flood caused by Pabha River in July 2015. Since then, the road has remained unplugged till date.

However, a fund was allotted around three years back in order to repair the road and to construct an RCC bridge to plug the breach after consecutive demands were made by the local people. A contractor was engaged in the implementation of the scheme. The construction work of the bridge started two years back. The local people alleged that the contractor had kept the bridge construction work pending during the two-and-half years. He had left the bridge construction work incomplete just after installing two pillars at the end of the breach.

“Regarding the completion of the work, the contractor and the department concerned have showed extreme dereliction and made the local people suffer a lot in every rainy season. Due to the lack of a bridge, people, including children and students, have been facing many problems for a long period of five years. All our prayers and petitions for completion of the work have gone in vain as the department has turned a deaf ear to them. We demand the district administration and the PWD Minister of the State Government to remove the contractor and to engage another in order to complete the work before the rainy season sets in,” stated Naren Borah, a local citizen, expressing his resentment over the issue.

On the other hand, the people of the area demanded the construction of two more bridges across Phoolbari-Naharani connecting PWD Road between No. 1 Hatiyemora village and Krishnapur Deori Gaon under the same Gaon Panchayat. On this road, a culvert, which was damaged by flood five years back, also remained unconstructed and another breach by Mora Pabho Nola remained unplugged for a period of five years.

The road is a shorter way to connect with Harmoti, a busy commercial place of Lakhimpur district, and neighbouring State of Arunachal Pradesh via Harmoti from Phoolbari. In addition to other problems because of the breach and the damaged culvert, the farmers of the area face many problems selling their agro-products by transporting them to the Harmoti market.

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