Bilasipara students wade through floodwaters as bamboo bridges submerge

Dhubri: Students in Ward No. 9 of Bilasipara town in Assam’s Dhubri district are forced to wade through knee-deep water in the Gaurang river area to reach schools after two bamboo bridges and surrounding stretches get submerged during the rainy season.Residents said the disruption lasts for about four months every year, affecting farmers, students and daily commuters, and raising concerns over safety.“Village kuchha road of Hakama joins Baniapara of Ward No. 9 of Bilasipara town and in between this part, two bamboo bridges come on the way. They get submerged when Gaurang river is on spate during rainy season and all have to wade through knee-deep water,” a resident and social worker, Debabrata Das (Babla) of Bilasipara town, said.Das said Bilasipara, despite being among the fastest-growing towns in western Assam, lacks basic civic amenities such as roads, lighting and drinking water in several wards.Another resident, Sohidul Haque Choudhury (Amin), alleged that the Baniapara area falls under the Bilasipara Municipal Board, but no steps have been taken to build a permanent RCC bridge to ensure safe passage.Local residents have demanded that the municipal body construct a permanent bridge to prevent any untoward incident involving students and other commuters.Bilasipara Municipal Board chairperson Binita Das Saha told TOI she was not aware and would check with the ward commissioner of Ward No. 9.