Maksam Tayeng

PASIGHAT, Jun 29:  In an unfortunate twist of fate, the day after Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh inaugurated a Border Roads Organisation built RCC bridge over Simang river, few hours later and few kilometres away,  another BRO maintained  Bailey bridge over Siyom river, popularly called Sanggam bridge (due to location of the bridge at the confluence of Siyom and Siang river)  collapsed today at around 8.30 am. 
As per Atul Tayeng, Deputy Commissioner, Siang District, the incident occurred  due to an overloaded dumper truck laden with chips, crushed stone. The truck with three persons also fell into the river and their bodies are still untraceable. The three persons are from Assam and have been identified as Mitingga Boro, Ranjit Sutrodar and Rahul Tamang.  
Tayeng informed that NDRF and SDRF have been requisitioned and they are searching for the bodies. 
Meanwhile, the DC has directed for a magisterial enquiry into the bridge collapse after paying a visit to the incident site today along with local MLA Ojing Tasing and Superintendent of Police. People travelling to Boleng are advised to take Pasighat-Mariyang and Likabali-Basar-Aalo road. As per sources, the BRTF/BRO will take at least a month to reconstruct a bridge over the river.
Sanggam bridge despite being the only one connectivity, life-line of the people of the upper Adi belt up to the Indo-China border has been completely neglected for the past few years. This bailey suspension bridge over river Siyom located at Siyom-Siang confluence in Siang district was terribly outdated or expired in layman words by every commuter who are bound to pass through this weak bridge, said Joluk Minung, President, Adi Baane Kebang Youth Wing, the youth wing of Adi Baane Kebang (the apex & appellate body of the Adi tribes).
The same bridge whose foundation was inaugurated in the year 1967 just after 5 years of Chinese aggression in 1962 was once washed away by the massive unnatural flood that occurred on 11th June 2000. When the road connectivity was totally cut off strategically as felt by the defence ministry then, the same bridge was again restored within two months by installing the old and used bridge equipment with the same foundation. Since then there was no proper maintenance and repairing of this bridge by the BRTF authority despite its strategic importance, added Minung. 
This weak bridge which has now completely collapsed should have been properly manned with strict statutory warning for its maximum load capacity. BRTF authorities are completely responsible for collapse of the Sanggam Bridge. In comparison, this bridge is much more important than the newly inaugurated Simang bridge. First priority should have been given to Sanggam bridge to construct a RCC bridge. The Defence ministry of India should have realized the strategic importance of this bridge through which daily ration items along with heavy arms and ammunitions are transported for the Indian army manning the Indo-China border, said Minung.
Meanwhile, the incessant rain in the region has caused massive destruction in many parts including road blockade along National Highway-52 in between Pasighat-Roing and also Pasighat-Mariyang on the Trans Arunachal Highway.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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