Bridge collapses in city, shoddy work blamed

BY Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Sept 21: An RCC bridge at Saukuchi on Lokhra road collapsed following heavy rains since yesterday, marooning over 100 families of the Jokigar area.

The bridge was built on the sub-way connecting Jokigar with Lokhra road.

Officials of the district administration and PWD today arranged a makeshift bamboo bridge for the marooned locals.

"The bridge was built around four years back. We had been saying from the beginning that the quality of work was very poor. Moreover, while dredging the Bahini river, the area beneath the bridge was also dug up, weakening the base of the bridge. During the rains, the current of the river is very strong," said Jokigar Unyan Samity working president bin Boro.

Kamrup metropolitan deputy commissioner M Angamuthu, who visited the area today along with PWD officials, said immediate restoration work will be undertaken. "We will go for permanent measures after that," he said.

The DC also directed all the circle officers in the district to file reports regarding damages caused to infrastructure like roads, bridges and guard walls in the wake of the heavy rains and flash floods since yesterday.

He also directed the Water Resources department and PWD to conduct a vulnerability assessment of the river banks and roads in the city.