ANINI, 7 Jun: A team of 17 men, comprising staffers of the Dibang Valley district administration and members of the local community, returned to Athunli village on Saturday after providing relief materials and essential medicines to a family stranded in Mawali village after the hanging bridge connecting the village was washed off on 1 June.
Previous efforts to deliver relief materials via drones failed as two drones of the DDMA and the Indian Army crashed after delivering a few kilos of rice and fast food. This team was then constituted by the DDMA to deliver the relief materials on foot.
On 5 June, the team set out from Athunli village, carrying a total of approximately 200 kgs of ration, medicines and other essential items at 7 AM and reached Mawali village after trekking for more than 10 hours at 5:30 PM.
The team had to tackle narrow and steep pathways, build bridges with logs on the spot to cross streams, and even wade through water at some points.
Meanwhile, the villagers of Athunli, with the help of the Indian Army, BRO, local police and SJVN Ltd, built a ropeway on the abutment of the old bridge, and by 2:30 PM of 6 June the entire team of 17 men zip-lined towards Athunli village via the cable ropeway.
The family in Mawali has sufficient ration stocked for two months, and with the hanging bridge being partially repaired, the supply of ration has now become seamless. The complete construction of the bridge is likely to take one month.
The deputy commissioner has announced to felicitate the team for their selfless act and for assisting the district administration in time of crisis. (DIPRO)
