Rukni River Sweeps Away Temporary Bridge on Bhaga-Sherkhan Road, Locals Resort to Country Boats

Communication between Southern Bhaga and the rest of the district has come to a complete standstill after the makeshift bamboo bridge over the Rukni River, built by locals following the collapse of the main concrete bridge, was washed away by heavy rains on Monday morning.

The main RCC bridge over the Rukni River on Bhaga-Sherkhan Road collapsed on the night of September 13, plunging two trucks into the river. The bridge was a critical link for commuters, students, and residents of several villages, and its collapse left them in dire straits. Following the incident, the locals were forced to take county boats to cross the river to reach their workplaces or educational institutions. Later, the locals had built a temporary walkable bamboo bridge for movement across the river. However, this bridge was swept away this morning, after heavy rainfall intensified the river’s flow.

A daily commuter shared, “The bamboo bridge was of poor quality and couldn’t withstand the river’s force. Now, we’re back to using country boats.” Local residents are now relying on small boats that ferry 15 to 20 passengers at a time for a fare of ₹5.

A daily commuter there said, “The people of this region have been the worst sufferers due to the collapse of this bridge. The bridge was made of very poor quality bamboo which couldn’t bear the force of the river flow”. Another local mentioned that the same night the bridge collapsed, the MP Silchar, Parimal Suklabaidya visited the spot and with his intervention, the work for the bridge repair was sanctioned. As per the loclals, the former PWD Minister of Assam had helped sanction the project after informing the Chief Minister.

However, with the makeshift bamboo bridge gone, the only available option for residents is to risk crossing the river on small boats, which many fear may not be a long-term solution.

In the meantime, locals and commuters are anxiously awaiting the restoration of the concrete bridge to restore normalcy in the region.