Biplab Kr Dey
Kharkutta (NGH), Jan 15: The village of Dokongsi lies in one of the remotest corners of the state of Meghalaya in the district of North Garo Hills. Till about 2-3 years ago, the entire area remained cut off due to the pathetic condition of the road that connected them to the rest of the world.
The situation had been similar for residents of this area since time immemorial with the monsoon almost completely cutting off access to Dokongsi except for 4WD vehicles. However the village finally got a working road which helped ease the problems of residents of Dokongsi and other far flung areas. Interestingly, the village of Dokongsi is only a stone’s throw away from the district of West Khasi Hills (WKH).
On the map, the village falls under the Kharkutta C&RD Block and is only about 23 kms from Kharkutta village on the Rajasimla route.
Dokongsi consists of 3 separate sections – Dokongsi A, B and C with C being the biggest in terms of area and population. While Dokongsi A has a total of about 40 households, the B section has about 80 households with C returning a number of 105 households at least. Beyond Dokongsi lie another 3-4 villages before WKH comes up on the periphery.
A visit this afternoon, Jan 15 showed a rural populace that relies on agriculture and plantations to sustain their livelihoods as well as the dependency on MGNREGA work for development.
However one of the biggest ails facing the three separate sections is the non-existence of a bridge across a small stream that cuts off C from A and B. The small stream, identified as Rongru, is a perennial stream that lies just behind the Dokongsi Bazaar and has been the bane of residents for ages since.
The river as per locals flows extremely fast during the rainy season and is only connected through a bamboo bridge that the villagers themselves make and remake upon damage to ensure foot connectivity between themselves.
“I want to highlight our problem of commuting to and fro across the Rongro river because of the absence of a permanent bridge. There are several villages on the other side of this river –Rongajing, Bandu, Mangsang – who have to take this route to get to those villages. We construct this temporary bamboo bridge ourselves but when heavy rains come the bridge gets washed away by strong river current and we have to reconstruct the bridge about four or five times a year,” stated Dokongsi Sordar, Dillipson Sangma.
Sangma felt a permanent bridge was the only solution to their age old problems and a long felt need. Earlier during the tenure of Omillo K Sangma (Kharkutta MLA from 2008-2013) a base was laid for a bridge connecting the 3 sections but was never taken up seriously. Unfortunately, the pillars were washed away during a flood just a few months after it was installed.
“During the rains, the water current is so strong that the temporary bridge gets washed away on a regular basis. It is impossible for vehicles to cross and even more dangerous for children and commuters to pass but many of us still have to take this risk. We have to redo the bridge about 4-5 times every year to maintain relations and stay connected to each other,” added Sangma.
“We are separated by a river without proper road connectivity. The biggest government LP village school is located in Dokongsi C and is used by residents of both A and B while the market falls across the same river in Dokongsi A. Residents of these villages face a lot of hardship, particularly during the rainy season when the bamboo bridge collapses or gets washed away. It is difficult for children to go to school. The Church is also located on one side of the river. We are helpless during monsoons and there is still no permanent solution to this,” added the Sordar.
The villagers added that appeals have been made to many for the construction of a permanent bridge but there has not been any response to their appeals.
“A permanent bridge is a long felt need by the people of this area and I want to appeal to our political leaders to find a way to help us through certain departments, to construct at least 1-2 km road, including the bridge through PMGSY scheme through ease the pains that we face on an annual basis,” added the Dokongsi resident.
Even today, the temporary structure was just enough to support motorcycles and people crossing, showing just how desperate the situation had turned for residents who only just recently began seriously connecting with the rest of the country.
