Concrete bridge over Kapili Sir, – Till late ’50s almost all roads of the country leading to villages were cutcha and dilapidated, many passing through reeds and weeds. There was no motorable road worth the name. To see a motor vehicle. In village road was a wonder to the village children. Bullock, buffalo and pony carts were the only means of transport for goods, as well as the old, sick and infants requiring travelling long distances. Boats were another viable means of transportation between places connected by rivers and tributaries. The few who could afford had bi-cycles, horses and elephants to ride while others walked miles to go from one place to another.
In the western part of Marigaon district of Assam, more than 20,000 people belonging to various ethnic groups including plain tribes and scheduled castes, live in about 20 villages around Jagigaon, an ancient village of the area. People of these villages had to cross over Kapili river either by small boats or by the Mar-boat to reach the weekly bazaar on Sunday or to catch train or bus at Jagiroad. There was a Mar-boat over Kapili in the part of the river near Jagibhakatgaon about 7 km from Jagiroad. The Mar-boat could carry large number of people with goods besides a bullock cart at a time. The system continued till early 60s when it was replaced by a one-way concrete bridge constructed at the very site during that period when the traffic was thin. It may be either due to our shortsightedness, or the apathy of the Centre the bridge did not come out with provision of two way traffic. Now the bridge has failed to cope with the increased number of vehicles, particularly after the creation of Marigaon district with headquarters at Marigaon. The importance of the road from Jagiroad to Raha via Marigaon has increased manifold, and its utility as a lateral road is inevitable during flood when the National Highway is submerged in flood water in a number of places from Jagiroad to Raha,.
Given the heavy vehicular traffic in this part of the road, (Jagiroad to Raha), now need of a second concrete bridge parallel to the existing one is felt very much by the public of the locality. Will the Chief Engineer PWD (Roads), Assam look into the matter and do the needful early? – Yours etc. B.N.Sarma, Jagigaon,Marigaon.
