[ Pisi Zauing ]
MAKANTONG, 12 Sep: Nearly three months after a major portion of the Makantong bridge along Trans-Arunachal Highway (NH 215) was washed away by flash floods on 31 May, the bridge has finally been restored. The bridge was reopened for vehicular movement from 10 September, following a thorough inspection.
Although construction is not yet fully completed, the authorities decided to allow regulated traffic to ease public inconvenience. The remaining works will continue alongside movement of vehicles, subject to weather conditions.
The collapse of the Makantong bridge on 31 May had brought surface communication to a halt, cutting off Bordumsa, Kharsang, Jairampur, Miao, Namsai, and Jagun for almost 100 days. Farmers were among the worst affected, as they struggled to transport agricultural and horticultural produce to markets in Tinsukia (Assam) and elsewhere. Rising transportation costs, market delays, and crop losses severely impacted their incomes.
To address the crisis, the Bordumsa administration arranged a temporary ferry service across the Buri Dihing river. Local businessman Ladum Sisen engaged machine boats to ferry passengers and vehicles, providing crucial support despite the risks.
The flash floods also left widespread damage across Changlang district. Large stretches of farmland in N’khumsang, Namphai, Kharsang, Bordumsa and Diyun circles were submerged, destroying crops, damaging irrigation systems, barns, and storage facilities, while threatening livestock. Soil erosion and crop failures added to the woes of farmers, many of whom faced reduced yields and uncertain futures.
Several buildings of the ITI Balinong in Kharsang circle were washed away by the Buri Dihing, while Dapkhu and Wagun villages in Bordumsa circle witnessed large-scale erosions.
Despite the devastation, locals allege that the district administration failed to initiate timely assessments and did not compensate the affected families for their losses.
With the reopening of the Makantong bridge, commuters and farmers are hopeful that normalcy will gradually return, even as recovery efforts remain far from over.
