Itanagar, June 11: Villagers of remote Chatong in Arunachal Pradesh’s Longding district have built a wooden bridge entirely on their own, after years of struggling without basic road and bridge infrastructure.
Over a hundred residents from Chatong and neighbouring villages—including Ozakho, Langmai, and Chajam—came together to construct the bridge, pooling money and labour to fill the development void left by successive governments. Women from the community supported the effort by preparing meals and serving tea to the men working on the bridge.
Chatong village lies in the eastern part of the state, home to the Wancho tribe. Despite being part of a state that has seen rapid infrastructure expansion in recent years, these villages remain cut off, particularly during monsoon seasons, due to the lack of proper roads and bridges.
“There are two roads that connect these villages, but one of them, a PMGSY road through the Chibam block, is completely non-motorable,” said Jacob Wangsu, President of the Chatong Students’ Union. “People are forced to take a much longer route—nearly 40 km—through neighbouring Tirap district to reach Longding, the district headquarters.”
Frustrated by years of neglect and administrative apathy, the villagers decided to act. “It took us about three days to complete the construction. When the government didn’t work, the people did,” Wangsu added.
The new bridge is expected to significantly ease local travel and improve access to healthcare, education, and markets for the approximately 500 households in the area. All four villages fall under the Kanubari Assembly constituency, which is currently represented by state minister Gabriel D. Wangsu.
