Dibrugarh: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Tuesday inaugurated a motorable steel girder Bailey bridge over the Rima River at Khamlang in Changlang district.
Taking to X, Mein said, “A historic milestone for the people of Khamlang. Today, I inaugurated the Motorable Steel Girder Bailey Bridge over River Rima at Khamlang in Changlang district along with HMLA Nampong-Jairampur, Shri Laisam Simai ji. It is a long-awaited connectivity project that will transform the lives of the people of Sangwal Khamlang, Tikhak Khamlang and Mossang Khamlang villages.”
“For more than seven decades, this region remained connected to the outside world only through a hanging bridge. Despite Miao being geographically close, the absence of a motorable bridge forced villagers to travel through Jairampur and Jagun in Assam before reaching Miao, covering over 80 kilometres as per official records,” Mein said.
He added, “With the inauguration of this bridge, Miao is now just about 7 kilometres away from Khamlang, reducing travel time to approximately 15 minutes. This will bring immediate benefits to residents by improving access to healthcare, education, markets, government services and economic opportunities.”
“This landmark achievement reflects the commitment of the BJP government towards ensuring last-mile connectivity and inclusive development for even the most remote and long-neglected regions of Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge also strengthens connectivity along the historic Stilwell Road corridor connecting Nampong and Jairampur and enhances access to the world-renowned Namdapha Wildlife Sanctuary, opening new avenues for tourism and local economic growth,” he said.
Residents of Changlang expressed happiness over the inauguration of the bridge, which had been a long-pending demand of the region.
“We faced a lot of difficulties due to the absence of the bridge and had to travel long distances to reach Miao. Now, the bridge will significantly reduce travel time,” a resident said.