Floodwaters of the Kemi River swept away a 300-meter-long iron bridge in the Dhemaji district of Assam on June 28, 2024 [1], [2].
The collapse of the bridge severs a critical transport link, isolating communities and disrupting the movement of goods and people between Kemi-Purana Jelom and Jonai Sadar.
Heavy rainfall triggered the disaster, causing severe riverbank erosion and a rapid rise in water levels [1], [2]. The force of the current eventually overcame the structure, washing the 300-meter iron bridge [2] downstream.
Local reports indicate that the bridge served as a primary connection point within the Dhemaji district [1]. The loss of the infrastructure leaves residents without a direct road route, complicating emergency response and daily travel in the flood-affected region.
Assam frequently faces severe monsoon flooding, but the complete removal of a bridge of this scale highlights the intensifying impact of riverbank erosion on the state's infrastructure [1]. Authorities have not yet provided a timeline for the restoration of the link or the construction of a replacement structure.
“Floodwaters of the Kemi River swept away a 300-meter-long iron bridge”
The destruction of the Kemi River bridge underscores the vulnerability of rural infrastructure in Northeast India during the monsoon season. When critical links are washed away, it creates a ripple effect that hampers food security and medical access for isolated villages, necessitating more resilient engineering standards to withstand increasing riverbank erosion.
