Shillong, Sept 19: The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) has demanded the state government to order safety auditing of the two important bridges – one located where the Border Security Force (BSF) is stationed and the other is over the Lukha river, at Sonapur village in East Jaintia Hills.
In a letter submitted to the East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner on Friday, the JSU said the Lukha River bridge, in particular, poses a significant risk to the safety of commuters due to its age and the heavy load it bears.
The bridge’s condition is further compromised by the constant movement of heavy vehicles and traffic congestion, with up to 20 trucks often halted on both sides of the bridge.
“Considering that this bridge was constructed a long time ago, its durability and strength to withstand such heavy loads is now highly questionable. That, given the importance of this route for both public movement and commercial transportation, any untoward incident such as a structural failure or collapse-would not only endanger lives but also cause serious disruption in communication and transportation, leading to hardships for the people of the area and beyond,” the JSU said.
In light of this, the union has requested the deputy commissioner to conduct an immediate inspection of the two bridges by the concerned technical and engineering authorities and to take prompt action to prevent any future tragedy or transportation crisis.
“To find and implement preventive alternatives, such as regulating the flow of heavy vehicles or imposing load restrictions, until necessary repair or reconstruction works are carried out and to take necessary steps for renovation, strengthening, or replacement of the Lukha River bridge to ensure long-term safety and uninterrupted transportation,” it stated in the letter.
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