TURA: In an age of modern engineering and express highways the irony could not be more telling in this remote part of East Garo Hills district.
For a state that is vying for a smart city tag has villages where life and livelihood depend on a rickety bridge.
Meet the villagers of Rongsak Songgital, Sawilgre, Gongnaggre and Bansingre located across the Simsang river and which form a part of Williamnagar legislative constituency.
The 200-odd households in these four villages have been using the hanging bamboo bridge to cross the river to Rongsak village for generations.
Villagers would not hesitate to negotiate the strong water currents, even at peak monsoon season, because their income depended on it. They made their daily trips carrying fruits, vegetables and local fish to sell on the roadside to commuters who would buy without much negotiation.
But that was till two years ago. Not anymore.
With the opening of the new highway, NH-44, connecting Jengjal with Williamnagar, tourists and travellers have since disappeared and revenue dried up.
“We use to maintain our families and also the repairs of the bridge with the money generated from sale of our produce. That is now gone. Since 2013 we have not been able to do any construction work on the bridge due to lack of funds,” said villagers from Bansingre who fear for their children who use the damaged bridge to go to school. The hanging bridge is perched over seven meters above the ground.
The locals had constructed an alternate bridge at a much lower altitude and each household contributed Rs 200. But the danger is when the rain comes and the new bridge gets washed away.
The new deputy commissioner of East Garo Hills, Ram Kumar, has, in the meantime, taken stock of the scenario and is looking at ways to provide either repair of the existing bridge or find an alternate and safe route.