KAMALPUR/AMBASSA: Erosion along the Dhalai river is threatening to wash away a stretch of the Kamalpur–Ambassa road at Rakhaltali, sparking fears among local residents of losing a vital connectivity link.
The road runs along the river’s eastern bank. Residents said last year’s severe floods shifted the Dhalai’s course near Rakhaltali in Salema, adjacent to the Electricity Corporation office, forming a sharp bend that has pushed the river against the roadway.
Locals warn that any major flood this monsoon could sweep away a large portion of the road, cutting off the area and endangering an estimated 200 to 250 families living alongside it. One resident said the river flowed nearly 200 metres further east just a few years ago, but yearly erosion has steadily narrowed that distance, bringing the current dangerously close to the road.
Residents have demanded that authorities take immediate steps to check the erosion before further damage occurs.