Borkhat Bridge finally completed and inaugurated today after nearly a decade

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 19, 2019

BORKHAT: The long awaited bridge over the River Myntdu connecting West Jaintia Hills District to East Jaintia Hills District along Muktapur-Borkhat area was declared open to the people this afternoon.

This bridge was formally inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and attending by Education Minister Lakmen Rymbui and Revenue Minister Kyrmen Shylla and other senior government officers.

The bridge is located at Borkhat Village over River Myntdu on the 19th KM of Dawki Muktapur Borkhat road. The existing road Dawki Muktapur Borkhat ends at 19 KM on the western side of Myntdu River. There are two roads on the eastern side of Myntdu River one Khliehriat to Borkhat and another from Borkhat to Sunapur. But due to absence of bridge this road cannot be inter connected with Dawki Muktapur Borkhat road.

The main scope was to construct a multi span BUG Bridge of 180 m comprising of 60 m each. The sub structure is made up to two number of abutment and two numbers of piers of open foundation while the construction of approaches on both sides consist of return wall and retaining wall with the metalling and blacktopping of the carriageway.

This bridge will connect many villages in East Jaiñtia Hills and West Jaintia Hills district along the Indo-Bangla Border like Dawki, Muktapur, Pasadwar, Lumpyngngad, Kharkhana, in the western side of Myntdu River under Amlarem Sub Division and Borkhat, Kwator, Lejri, Huroi, Hingaria, Sunapur, Lama, Lakadong, Bataw Rymbai, etc under East Jaiñtia Hills.

With the lifting of ban on coal mining, the trucks transporting coals to Dawki can now take this route which is shorter in distance Ladrymbai instead of plying the through Jowai.

The opening of this bridge will uplift the socio economic conditions of the people living in the villages along the border as it will pave the way for easy transportation of agriculture and horticulture products of the area to different markets of the State and neighbouring country through Dawki.

This road is important from strategic point of view as it will enable better patrolling of the international border with Bangladesh by Border Security Force.

The construction of a major bridge over river Myntdu on Dawki-Muktapur-Borkhat Road (span 180 M) under RIDF XV NABARD was completed a total cost of Rs.26,26,19000 after it was revised from Rs.16,60,21000.

Speaking on the occasion, Tynsong bragged that the MDA Government has managed to get a total sanction of Rs.2000 crore for the financial year 2018-19 from the central government and “we are fully committed to improve the road connectivity in the state.”

He also informed that the Government is preparing the plan estimate for submission to the Union DoNER Ministry for the construction of the road from Borghat to Sonapur via Hingaria and Huroi.

Tyngsong assured that they will construct the road to from Land Custom Station to Muktapur, and from Muktapur to Borghat to Amlarem and Rymbai and this will be covered under the special package to be funded by World Bank.

Tynsong lamented that the main hurdle in the early completion of any project is the acquisition of lands as according to the present land tenure system the lands belonged to private individuals or parties and not to the Government.