Shillong: The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) has urged the state government to conduct a safety audit of two key bridges in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills — one near the Border Security Force (BSF) camp and the other over the Lukha River at Sonapur village.
In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills on Friday, the JSU expressed concern over the condition of the Lukha River bridge in particular, warning that its age and the heavy vehicular load it carries pose a serious risk to commuters’ safety.
The condition of the bridge is further weakened by the continuous movement of heavy vehicles and frequent traffic congestion, with as many as 20 trucks often lined up on either side.
“Considering that this bridge was constructed a long time ago, its durability and strength to withstand such heavy loads are now highly questionable. That, given the importance of this route for both public movement and commercial transportation, any untoward incident such as a structural failure or collapse would not only endanger lives but also cause serious disruption in communication and transportation, leading to hardships for the people of the area and beyond,” the JSU said.
The union has urged the Deputy Commissioner to conduct an immediate inspection of both bridges by the relevant technical and engineering authorities and to take swift measures to avert any potential tragedy or disruption in transportation.
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“To find and implement preventive alternatives, such as regulating the flow of heavy vehicles or imposing load restrictions, until necessary repair or reconstruction works are carried out and to take necessary steps for renovation, strengthening, or replacement of the Lukha River bridge to ensure long-term safety and uninterrupted transportation,” it stated in the letter.
