After a gap of five months, work on the much-desired bridge over the river Brahmaputra connecting Jorhat and Majulihas finally resumed.
The work is being executed by the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation Limited. The company started mobilizing men and machinery over the last week or so and the stalled resumed on Friday, leading to renewed hope among the people of Majuli regarding expeditious completion of the bridge.
It is pertinent to mention the lack of a bridge with Jorhat has created great difficulties for the residents of Majuli, especially when it comes to availing better emergency healthcare services.
The foundation of the bridge was laid in November, 2021. Work then started on the over 8-km-long bridge, for which the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has sanctioned Rs 925.47 crore. However, in the last part of April this year local people noticed certain gaps in two piles of the under-construction bridge – No 8 and No 11 – on the Majuli side. Work on the bridge stopped in May last. Subsequently, senior officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) visited the spot in May and carried out an inspection of the defect.
Talking to The Sentinel, the MLA of Majuli LAC, Bhuban Gam said that resumption of the stalled work is good news for the people of Majuli. The defect noticed by the local people has been examined by the authorities concerned and it will be rectified, Gam said. The MLA said once it is completed, the bridge will serve as a lifeline for the people of Majuli. It is for this reason that each resident of Majuli is awaiting early completion of the bridge, he added.
