By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 20: The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) has asked the state government to order an urgent safety audit of two vital bridges in East Jaintia Hills, one near the Border Security Force (BSF) camp and the other spanning the Lukha River at Sonapur village along National Highway-6.
In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills on Friday, the union cautioned that the Lukha River bridge in particular has become a matter of grave concern.
The bridge, they pointed out, is decades old and subjected to constant pressure from heavy traffic. With as many as 20 trucks often stalled on either side of the structure, the strain on its durability has become increasingly alarming.
The JSU maintained that the bridge’s capacity to bear such loads is now highly doubtful, given its age and the sheer volume of commercial transportation along the route.
They warned that any failure or collapse would not only pose a direct threat to human life but also disrupt communication and trade, leaving local residents and commuters in severe difficulty.
The union urged the deputy commissioner to initiate an immediate technical and engineering inspection of both bridges.
They also stressed the need for preventive measures such as regulating truck movement, enforcing load restrictions, and planning for repair, strengthening, or even replacement of the Lukha River bridge to guarantee long-term safety and uninterrupted connectivity.
Concerns about the Sonapur bridge are not new. Local reports have noted that despite prohibitory orders, vehicles continue to halt on the bridge, particularly during mudslides, when traffic is stranded for hours.
Villagers from Sonapur and adjoining areas have repeatedly voiced fears that unchecked congestion combined with the steady flow of heavy trucks could lead to accidents or structural collapse if no immediate action is taken.
