Assam: In absence of a bridge, boats are only means to cross Jaljali River

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: It’s unimaginable that even 78 years since India’s independence, people of Greater Nagerbera in the Kamrup district are still bereft of a bridge to cross the Jaljali River. Nagerbera is a business and educational hub in the northern part of South Kamrup and the southern part of Barpeta district. Every day, thousands of people, including students, have to cross the river dangerously by boat in the absence of a proper bridge.

Politicians in the area have been promising for years that the state government would construct a bridge, but these promises have not been fulfilled, and no action has been taken by the authorities to build the much-needed bridge.

Tired of the politicians’ antics, local people took the matter into their own hands and pooled their finances to construct a bamboo bridge around 7 years ago, but it was damaged by river waters. In 2019-20, they constructed a 1100-foot wooden bridge at a cost of Rs 1.14 crore. Later the Assam PWD took it over and was supposed to maintain the bridge, but this didn’t turn into a reality. After the construction of the wooden bridge, people got some relief, but this bridge also got damaged after some time, and road connectivity was disrupted, forcing the people to return to their old mode of transport by boats.

Some two years back, a few lessees constructed a new bamboo bridge and imposed a fee on people crossing it. With a rise in the water level of the Jaljali River after rains, the bridge was again damaged, and it was no longer viable for the lessees to maintain it. So, it is back to the boats for the multitude of people crossing the river every day. Even medical patients must rely on this mode of transportation. Crossing the river at night in the event of an emergency is a nightmare.

Talking to The Sentinel, a retired teacher of the area, Dipen Medhi, said, “We’ve been raising the demand for a concrete bridge over the Jaljali River for years now. We’ve approached many ministers and MLAs, officials and bureaucrats for the construction of a bridge, but all to no avail. If you don’t go there, you’ll not be able to discern how dangerous the situation is. Many students of BP Chaliha College in Nagerbera also have to cross the river by boat to attend classes. The primary agenda of the new state government is development, and we hope that it will decide to construct a concrete bridge here soon. We expect the new local MLA to take up the matter in earnest.”

Also Read: Kamrup Administration Bans River Activities Amid Rising Brahmaputra Water Levels