Damaged 3 Rathedaung suspension bridges yet to be repaired, cause difficulties for locals

At least three suspension bridges in Rathedaung township of Rakhine State, which were damaged by  cyclone  Mocha in May are yet to be repaired and it causes difficulties for tens of thousands of local residents while traveling to different places.

“The current military regime has been claiming that it was doing everything for the Mocha affected people of Rakhine State. The junta has published many news items in the government-run television and newspapers, but it has done nothing on the ground. The military rulers are cheating the people of Myanmar and also the international community,” said a local resident.

The collapsed suspension bridges at Zaydi Byint, Yan Aung Pyin and Tharak Chaung  villages are located in western Rathedaung Township, which is  20 miles north of Rakhine capital city Sittwe.

These bridges were built by volunteers with the help of local contributions. Now the repairmen of these bridges will need Kyats  300 million. The villages are expecting support from the
government as well as the international community.

U Saw Hla, a member of the bridge repairing team from Tharak Chaung village informed that they had requested the township administrator for necessary supports.

Narinjara News tried to contact the administrator through telephone, but he only said, "I am in a meeting, and I don't know when it will be over.” And he stopped speaking.

When these bridges collapsed, local travelers have to cross the creeks by hand-rowing boats. It is especially worrying for the students and elderly people, said a local school teacher.

A local elder informed Narinjara News that there is no engineer available to work for the
repairmen and so the villagers have to face problems for some more months.