Silchar, April 22: Local residents of Sialtek under Katigorah constituency in Cachar district have demanded that the proposed bridge over the Barak along National Highway 6 be constructed in the Sialtek-Kalinagar area, around 26km from here.

The local residents alleged that the site of Katigorah-Badarpur area, around 32km from here, decided by the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), for constructing the bridge is a "sinking zone" and implementing the project there would be a risky affair.

They said crores of rupees, sanctioned by the government for the project, would be wasted if the bridge is constructed in the Badarpur-Katigorah area, considering the risks involved. A high-level meeting in this connection was held on April 11 in Katigorah. NHIDCL officials, the district administration of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi, political representatives and a few local residents were present at the meeting.

NHIDCL officials, during the meeting, proposed three choices - 19m upstream from the current bridge (in Badarpur-Katigorah area), or 19m downstream from the current bridge (in Badarpur-Katigorah area) or 5km upstream from the current bridge (in Sialtek-Kalinagar area) for the bridge's construction. After a detailed discussion, the site of a 19m upstream from the current bridge (Badarpur-Katigorah area) was selected for the project.

The local residents said the current bridge in Badarpur-Katigorah area along NH 6 has been in a shambles for many years, creating several problems for the people of Barak Valley, Tripura, Mizoram and other states.

They said the site of Katigorah-Badarpur also lacks adequate space for the approach road, whereas the site of Sialtek-Kalinagar area does not have such issues and therefore, the latter is an ideal site for the project.

They said they would submit a memorandum, underscoring the need of shifting the site of construction, through the deputy commissioner to the general manager of NHIDCL on Monday. A team of local residents of Sialtek is also likely to go to Dispur and to New Delhi as well to voice their demand. Katigorah MLA Amar Chand Jain said commuters would have to travel extra if the bridge is constructed in the Sialtek-Kalinagar area. "I have spoken to technicians regarding the "sinking zone" issue in the Katigorah-Badarpur area and they have assured me that there will be no problem if the bridge is built here," he said.

The proposed bridge would be constructed by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) and the work is scheduled to start from October. An amount of Rs 200 crore has been allocated for the project.