Bridge linking to State blasted
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Agencies
Silchar, November 28 2013:
A bridge on National Highway 37, used by trucks for transporting essential items to Manipur from Assam, has been damaged in an IED explosion in Cachar district of Assam, officials said on Thursday.
A major portion of Chiripool, built over a river on the Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar highway, was damaged last evening when an IED planted along the bridge exploded in Fulartol area in Cachar, the sources said.
"It will take about three months to repair the damage, during which no heavy vehicles would be allowed to ply," Commanding officer of the 765 Border Road Task Force (BRTF) battalion, Col Binoy Bal, whose battalion maintains the bridge, said.
However, a report in Times of India said that Border Road Task Force (BRTF) authorities have closed RCC Bridge No.83 on NH-37 connecting Silchar in Assam with Imphal in Manipur to heavy vehicles for the next six months.
The decision was taken after senior BRTF officials visited the spot on Wednesday morning after a powerful blast rocked the bridge at Chiripool in Assam's Cachar district at 7pm on Tuesday, causing partial damaged to the structure.
The bridge was constructed in 1995 .
This national highway is considered one of the lifelines of Manipur.
"The bridge has been damaged by the powerful bomb blast underneath it on Tuesday evening and the repair process will take about six months from now.
During this period, we will prevent heavy vehicles from using the bridge to avert risks.
Only light vehicles will be allowed to ply through the bridge," said the BRTF's Jiribam-based official, Colonel Binoy Bal is quoted to have said, on Wednesday.
Bal and BRTF's Salchapra-based commandant S S Mazumdar during the day inspected the spot and took stock of the situation.
Security forces are yet to identify the persons or group behind the Tuesday blast.
The BSF's dog squad from Karimganj was pressed into service on Wednesday to investigate the incident.
Police, CRPF and Assam Rifles have launched a joint operation after the incident.
However, no one has been arrested as yet.
No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Police suspect that Manipur-based Meitei militants may be behind the blast.
The area of Lakhipur sub-division in Assam's Cachar district near the Manipur border has witnessed a number of blasts over the years.
The impact of the blast was so powerful that glass windows and doors of nearby houses were damaged, the sources said.
The bridge is located 10 km from the Manipur border town of Jiribam and about 222 km from here.
Most of the Manipur-bound trucks from Assam, carrying essential items use the bridge for reaching Imphal since the last few months as the trucks were facing extortion demand from militant outfits on NH 2 (Imphal-Dimapur- Guwahati), the sources said.
Manipur is linked with Assam and Nagaland by NH 37 and NH 2 .
It was being investigated whether the militant outfits, who used to illegally collect 'tax' from vehicle owners on NH 2, were responsible for the explosion which would then compel the trucks to use the NH 2, the sources said.
The Imphal-Dimapur NH-2 is a stage for frequent bandhs and blockades by Naga organizations, which trigger economic crisis in Manipur.
Sources said, because of this reason, the Manipur government has started treating the Silchar-Imphal NH-37 as one of the lifelines of the state and has done a lot to improve the condition of the road.
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