Overflowing water of Dropang breaches Lakhipur Maghnowa Road

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Heavy shower has lashed the Lakhimpur district along with the neighbouring State of Arunachal Pradesh since Saturday. As a result of it, Dropang River, which flows with rapid current from the hills of Arunachal Pradesh, began to overflow and swept away one approach of the bridge along the Lakhipur-Maghonowa connecting road at No. 4 Tatibahar revenue village under Pichala Gaon Panchayat of Narayanpur Development Block. The overflown water of the river has also inundated five revenue villages under the said Gaon Panchayat namely, No. 2 Tatibahar, No 4 Tatibahar, Maghnowa, Gamtow and Bongson. The breach in the road has paralyzed the communication system in the area adversely affecting the people, students and the examinees of current HS Final exam. However, the villagers on Monday made the road accessible for pedestrians by lying four iron plates that were used in the old wooden bridge.

The construction of the RCC bridge was completed just two months ago. The construction of the bridge was implemented by the Gaon Panchayat with the investment of a fund of Rs. 17.63 lakhs allotted under 14th Finance Commission. The local people alleged that the bridge and the approaches were not constructed as per estimate and that was why the overflown water of the river could sweep away the approach of the bridge covering around a 20 meter long stretch of the road before the onset of the rainy season.

Notably, Dropang river has been creating havoc in the area with its overflown water by changing its original course towards the south since 1990, informed the local people. In 1995, flows of two more rivers named Pichala and Dihiri merged in Dropang and began to flow together on crop areas breaching the Lakhipur-Maghonowa connecting road. Subsequently, a culvert was constructed by plugging the breach. Later the culvert was also damaged by the overflown water of the river. Since then the local people demanded the authority concerned to construct a big RCC bridge in the unplugged portion of the road so that it could bear the combined force of the water of the three rivers. But such bridge, as demanded, was not constructed, alleged the local people.

On the other hand, the people of the area have demanded the district administration and the State government afresh to divert the flow of the river to its original course by blocking the new course by constructing strong guide-bundh and by constructing agri-bundhs on both banks for the benefit of the local farmers.

On Tuesday, Bihpuriya MLA Dr. Amiya Kumar Bhuyan visited the affected area along with the Gaon Panchayat president and members. The local people demanded the MLA to repair the breached portion of the road at the earliest to revive the communication system.

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