Mangan, June 30 (IPR) :Mr Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, Minister for Forest & Environment Department as well as the MLA for Dzongu inaugurated the newly constructed cane foot bridge at Sangklang today. The event was also attended by District Magistrate Mangan, Mr. Anant Jain (IAS), SDM Dzongu- Mr Arun Chettri, BDO Dzongu- Mr Mani Kumar Rai, DFO(T)- Mr Tseten Wangyal, RO Dzongu -Mr Ongyal Lepcha, RO Mangan- Mr Aashish Gurung, AAPDA volunteers, officials of concerned department and local residents of Dzongu.
Under the guidance of the Minister, the entire engineering cell of BAC Passingdang, along with the public of Dzongu led by Mr. Dupden Lepcha (Passingdang), Mr. Dupden Lepcha (Sangklang), and Mr. Athop Lepcha (Lingkoo), commenced the construction of the cane bridge on June 16, 2024 and successfully completed it today.
Specifications and Guidelines of the Cane Bridge are as follows:
Length: 141 meters / 462 feet span
Height from Water Level: 17 meters / 55 feet
Capacity: 500 kg / 5-7 people with a proper spacing of 3 meters at a time.
Mr Pintso commended the efforts of those involved and expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards the people of Dzongu for their initiative in constructing this bridge, which stands as an example of indigenous ingenuity. In his conversation with DM Mangan, he emphasised that the construction of the zip line and cane bridge are temporary measures. He stressed the need for a permanent solution to reconnect the cut-off places and urged district officials to develop a comprehensive plan of action for emergencies and disasters. He suggested stocking up on essential commodities and water pipes, along with building log bridges at various locations.
DM Mangan, Mr. Anant Jain, highlighted the necessity of stationing police personnel to monitor the movement of people on the bridge to ensure adherence to the guidelines established by the district administration for public safety. He also urged the public to follow the provided safety guidelines.
With the construction of the bridge made entirely of bamboo, the residents of Dzongu now has an alternative temporary route to Mangan.
