Hon’ble Sir,
Longjon village which is located near the famous Barak Waterfall locally called KHOUDUANG under Tousem sub-division,Tamenglong district has been experiencing the similar catastrophe almost every year during rainy season due to its topographical location. The village is separated by Barak River from Tamenglong district and has created lots of commuting difficulties especially during rainy season. For the past many years, the village had been cut off completely from the rest of the district during rainy season and many a time the villagers had to depend on forest products to sustain themselves.
It was only in the year 2007, the Government of Manipur co-incidentally recognized the suffering of the villagers when a small boy by the name Mr Ringchamdinang Kamei who was studying in VII standard in United Builder School Tamenglong and one CRPF security personnel drowned when the former was ferrying the CRPF security personnel who came to the village on election duty. It was only after this incident that the Government of Manipur through the then Deputy Commissioner of Tamenglong district approved construction of a hanging bridge at the Barak River Longjon village junction. It was very ill-fated that a promising young boy life had to be lost in exchange of drawing the attention of the Government.
The villagers were content with the construction of the hanging bridge and their past dejected memories all vanished but it was momentary. In the year 2009, another incessant rain had brought another disaster completely destroying and sweeping away the only lifeline; hanging bridge and losing another precious life of (L) Shri Kiureiyang Kamei who was trying his best to save the only hanging bridge. His body could not be found till today. And again the repaired and re-constructed hanging bridge was swept away by flash flood on 14th June, 2018.
Sensing the unending suffering of the villagers, the village authority of Longjon village had submitted a representation to the representative of 52/AC Tamei and the Chairperson, District Disaster Management Authority, Tamenglong on 19th June, 2018 to build a motorable suspension bridge to stand against all seasons under Hill Area Development Program (HADP) at Longjon Village Junction. However, the standard of hanging bridge constructed at the cost of Rs. 29,06,088/- under HADP was not as per DPR and the sub-standard work was gifted to the villagers. Consequently, the same hanging bridge could not stand the recent incessant rain and was swept away on 12th May, 2022 at 2.30 pm.
The hanging bridge at Barak river, Longjon Village Junction was constructed several times but could never stand against rainy season. The only solution would be constructing a motorable suspension bridge which will also connect all the surrounding villages to the Thingou railway Sub-station. In order to ease the suffering of the Longjon villagers in particular and other surrounding villagers in general and prevent further loss of precious lives, I on behalf of Longjon village and other surrounding villages would like to earnestly request your able leadership to look into the matter and construct a motorable suspension bridge at Barak River Longjon Village Junction which can stand against all seasons and ease the never ending burden of the innocent villagers.
Looking forward to your immediate intervention,
Yours sincerely,
Ngankiuwang Kahmei
Denizen of Longjon village, Tousem Sub-Division, Tamenglong District.
[email protected]