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Workers at the reconstruction of Old Dhansiri Bridge in Dimapur.[/caption]
Dimapur, Jan. 20: Only recently the Dimapur district administration had closed traffic through the old Dhansiri Bridge. This ancient bridge, which connects present-day Purana Bazaar with Walford in the erstwhile Manipur road, is at the receiving end of a dismantling project since January 10 last.
This is part of the state Urban Development department’s project to rebuild the bridge. Not only is it being rebuilt, it is also being widened. Previously a single-lane passage, the reconstructed bridge will be a double-lane RCC T-beam bridge, according to official sources. The project is estimated to cost Rs 9.8 crore.
Currently, 14 workers are engaged in the project – working from 8 am till 5 pm daily. While the dismantling of the existing bridge structure is expected to end by May this year, the target is to finish the construction within three years.
One of the oldest, if not the oldest, bridges in Dimapur, the old Dhansiri bridge was built by the British army in the pre-independence era as part of their strategy to expand the empire connecting the plains of Dimapur with Manipur.
For so many years the bridge had stood as a reminder of the colonial legacy of workmanship to describe their advancement in technology, synonymous with all the powerful empires that rose along with the industrial revolution.
After remarkably surviving for more than hundred years, the bridge is being rebuilt today. Over the years, the bridge which straddles the river Dhansiri has been named after the river. It is said that Dhansiri was originally known as Dong-sori, meaning ‘a ravine of peaceful habitation.’
The river is said to originate from the mountainous Laisang peak, and is one of the chief tributaries of the Brahmaputra. It flows through a distance of 352 kilometres (219 miles) from south to north before joining the Brahmaputra on its south bank, according to Wikipedia. In some pockets, it also serves as the boundary between Karbi Anglong in Assam and Nagaland.
However, the construction of a new two-lane comes as good news to everyone concerned, coupled with the excitement and hope of having the same quality and reliability, thus making it worth replacing.