Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, July 21 (EMN): The Liangmen wooden bridge that connects four border villages with Assam via Longchem EAC Headquarters in Mokokchung district has been restored for light vehicles, the Nokpu Village Council reported on Sunday.
Lanuchujang Walling, the village council chairman of Nokpu, informed that every year the lifeline wooden bridge is either repaired or rebuilt as it cannot withstand the monsoon fury.
‘This year too, the main wooden poles were damaged; the two village councils -- Nokpu and Saring Yim -- repaired it and somehow managed to open it to light vehicles,’ he said.
“We have completed the repair works on July 19, but would not recommend light vehicle with full load to cross over the bridge; the main structure is very weak,” Walling cautioned. He said that there was a concrete bridge at the spot but it was badly damaged by monsoon rains two or three years ago.
'Alternatively, a temporary wooden bridge was constructed to connect the border villages, but we cannot stop nature’s fury, therefore, it has to be repaired every summer,' he said. He asserted that the only solution is to build a concrete bridge.
He further informed that a proposal was sent to the department in 2018 to build a new bridge but it is still in limbo.
‘Since the entire border belt with Assam is sealed and temporary wooden structure has been renovated, I am relieved that the bordering villages can now exit to procure essential commodities from Mokokchung side,’ he said.
He further urged the concerned department to speed up the proposed bridge since it is the only lifeline for the bordering village during this pandemic.
It may be mentioned that most of the bordering villages with Assam under Mokokchung district was under lockdown since the nationwide lockdown was declared in March and all essential commodities had to be brought from Mokokchung town and other sub-urban townships in the district, covering some hundred kilometre.