Sadiya bridge on Brahmaputra river a boon for travel and transport
Sadiya (Arunachal Pradesh): The two-lane, nine kilometres long Sadiya bridge is all set to enhance connectivity in the border areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The 12.9 metre
wide bridge, once completed, will connect Dholaghat to Islampur in Assam. It will also link NH-37 in Assam to NH-52 in Arunachal Pradesh, besides linking Sadiya village with
Dholaghat and two other districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The two areas are separated
by the Bramhaputra river and the bridge will reduce the transit time from 5 hours
to 2 hours. Locals believe the bridge will improve connectivity in the region
and open growth opportunities. Earlier, a ferry used to be the only option for
cargo transit from Sadiya. The new bridge will facilitate road transport and will
be a boon for businessmen. “Once its ( Sadiya Bridge ) is complete, there will
be development in this area, which will benefit the people. There will be better
connectivity between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh that will open new avenues for
progress in future,” Bhagwati Sharma, a local businessman, said. The construction
of the bridge will reduce the cargo costs, resulting in higher profits on paddy
and vegetables that are exported from Sadiya village. “Due to lack of communication
in this area, the prices of commodities are very high. All the commodities are
transported from Tinsukia via ferry. Now, the new bridge will benefit the businessman
to a greater extent,” Kirti Phukan, Principal, Sadiya College, said. The new
road will also facilitate numerous hydro power projects coming up in Arunachal
Pradesh and foster socio-economic development in Assam, besides commuting for
education will become easier for the students in the area. It will also facilitate
the security agencies to keep a tight vigil. “Students of this area usually go
to Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, and Guwahati for higher studies but after completion of
this bridge, the scenario of education will completely change as people are making
an effort to establish ITI and college in the area,” Phukan added. The engineers
and workers are facing a tough time constructing the bridge because of continuous
rains and insurgent activities. They have established the pillars and are nearing
its completion. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2014 at
an estimated cost of Rs 876 crore.
