TURA: Nokmas of Chisobibra and Samanda including from around 30 villages located on the other side of Simsang River in East Garo Hills, have submitted a memorandum to Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma seeking sanctioning of funds for construction of a bridge over the river.
Describing Chisobibra, located ten kilometers from Williamnagar is a place of great significance to the A’chiks, which is already attracting tourists, the Nokmas added that there were also a number of caves and waterfalls in the area for tourists to visit if a bridge was built across the river, which in turn would provide a source of income for villagers.
Pointing out that people from these villages mainly depend of jhum cultivation, the Nokmas said that absence of a bridge was making it difficult to transport their agricultural produce to the market as no vehicles can come to the villages, and the use of manpower was proving too expensive.
According to the Nokmas, students who attend schools located across the river including, Williamnagar are also greatly facing the brunt of the problem as they are unable to attend classes for months during the rainy season, resulting in the increasing number of school dropouts.
Repeated memorandums served to earlier governments have failed to evoke a positive response and no one has done anything to solve the problem, they said.
The Nokmas urged the MDA government led by Conrad Sangma to immediately look into the matter so that construction of a bridge over the river at Samanda Rongkem to New Gitokgre Songgital A’wegittim between Dolwagre and a link road from Dinaminggre via A’dugre to Warima in Williamnagar can take place.
