Kamalpur: Residents of Rakhaltoli, near Salema, have raised an urgent alarm over erosion by the Dhalai River, which they say is steadily eating into the Kamalpur–Ambassa road and threatens to cut off a key transport link in the area.
The fast-flowing river runs along the eastern side of the road. According to locals, last year’s severe floods altered the river’s course near the Electricity Corporation office at Salema’s Rakhaltoli, creating a sharp bend that now touches the road itself. Residents fear that any monsoon flood could wash away a large stretch of the road, severing connectivity and potentially displacing 200 to 250 families living in the vicinity.
A local resident said the river once flowed nearly 200 metres east of its present course, but continuous erosion over the years has pushed it dangerously close to the road. He warned that a future flood could submerge the crucial stretch entirely, cutting off the area and causing widespread damage to residents.
Locals have demanded that authorities take immediate steps to check the erosion and protect the road before the next flood season causes irreversible damage.