Guwahati: The mood of the people in general is enthusiastic on the both banks of Lohit river, the main channel of the Brahmaputra River, at Dhola (South bank) and especially at Sadiya (north bank) as the perennial communication barrier will be removed with the much-awaited inauguration of country’s longest river bridge of 9.15 Km length on May 26 next by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Dhola under Sadiya sub-division in Tinsukia district of eastern Assam.
The bridge will connect Dhola to Sadiya by road thereby rendering the age-old ferry service between
Saikhowa ghat (Dhola) and Sadiya out of practice. The bridge will bring enchanting locations and tribal people of eastern Arunachal Pradesh closer to the mainland too. Located only at about 100 km away from China border, the will be of immense strategic importance for country’s defence forces.
“It is always a risky boat ride when the river is on the spate during the monsoon. It takes over four hours to cross the river during monsoon while it takes average two and half hours during the rest of the year. Now, with the bridge in place, the distance has been reduced to just a span of 30 minutes.
The life will, it is hoped, will change for better for ever because of the bridge coming up,” summed up Nagen Kalita who has been working at the ferry hub at Saikhowa ghat since 1975.
The river here was not as wide as it is today till 1950, when the mega earthquake measuring 8.5 in the Richter Scale that rocked Brahmaputra valley on August 10. The mega quake devastated both Sadiya and Saikhowa towns which were then divided by a narrow easily navigable channel. The river became so wide in the area that Sadiya turned remote and inaccessible for the people of south bank, “he said.
“The new bridge will become a lifeline for the people of Sadiya who have remained deprives of so many things because of communication bottleneck. They are deprived of proper healthcare, higher and technical education opportunities, and a remunerative market for the local high-quality organic horticulture products. Yes, on the negative side a few hundred traders located at Dhola on South bank and boatmen operating on the river will be hit hard, but that is negligible compared to the possibilities of prosperity coming along with the bridge,” said Apurba Deka who owns Dibyolota Lodge at Dhola town.
“About 120 boats of various kinds have been operating between Saikhowa and Sadiya on the river. There are labourers working and so many small traders running restaurants and others shops on both the ferry hubs. Once the boat operation closes down after the bridge is made operational all these people will become jobless affecting estimated 4000 people. We want alternative livelihood options ,” said Biswajeet Roy, an employee of the leaseholder at Saikhowa ghat.
SPG stops Tarun Gogoi from visiting Dhola-Sadiya bridge
Guwahati: Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi was on Monday prevented from visiting Dhola-Sadiya bridge in Tinsukia district to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday citing “security concerns”.
The site of the bridge, construction of which was started in 2011 when Congress was in power both at the Centre and the state, has been taken over by the elite Special Protection Group (SPG) for the prime minister’s visit on May 26.
“They did not allow me to go to the bridge saying that it is because of security concerns and law and order issues. “Am I a terrorist? Will I break the laws? Why are they not allowing me to visit the bridge?” questioned Gogoi, who himself enjoys ‘Z Plus’ security cover.
The Congress government had laid the foundation, carried out the construction and completed the bridge on Brahmaputra river but now BJP was trying to take all the credit by inaugurating it with much fanfare, he said.
“It is like we planted a tree, nurtured it, but now they are eating the fruits. Let them. But can’t I even come and see my tree?” asked the veteran Congress leader.
Gogoi, who reached the spot on Monday morning was not allowed to go to the bridge by the security personnel, alleged that he was stopped due to “political conspiracy”.
When contacted, Tinsukia district deputy commissioner Ranjan Chakravartty said “The bridge is closed because of the inauguration. SPG has sanitised it. SPG said no one would be allowed to go except the workers.
The 9.16 km Dhola-Sadiya bridge is being touted as the longest in the country. (PTI)
