Assam floods cut access in Men Kathar, disrupting tea livelihoods and rebuilding a bamboo bridge
Relentless monsoon rains washed away the bamboo bridge linking Men Kathar in Karbi Anglong, leaving the village cut off and affecting local tea processing by aR
For three days, residents of Men Kathar village in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district were cut off from neighbouring areas after monsoon rains washed away a bamboo bridge over a swollen river. The bridge was the village’s only link for daily movement, so when it disappeared, normal work and travel stopped.
Bridge loss hits everyday life and tea processing
Men Kathar’s community built and maintained the bridge. When the river rose, the structure was gone, leaving the village without a safe way to cross. The disruption also affected the Rural Women Entrepreneurs (RWE) group, which relies on a roller machine to process green tea leaves.
Women rebuild together with local materials
Hana Taropi, a cluster leader in Men Kathar, said the roller machine had been kept across the river, so the group could not return to work until the water level dropped. After flooding eased, villagers came together again and rebuilt a temporary bamboo bridge using locally available materials. Two to three community members then carried the machine across carefully, so it could be used for tea processing.
For the RWE group, the roller machine is central to turning harvested tea leaves into a product with a higher value. Without it, household income from tea work takes a direct hit. Even after the bridge was restored, villagers said they remain unsure about how long the structure will last, especially during heavy rainfall.
The experience in Men Kathar reflects broader impacts of this year’s Assam floods. The rains inundated villages, damaged roads and bridges, and disrupted livelihoods. In other areas mentioned, floodwater entered homes in Angjok Tokbi and submerged tea gardens, while continuous rain made approach roads difficult to use in Mahiram Bey Chekso. In Bijuli, muddy and slippery roads created problems for residents travelling in and out of their village.
While access to Men Kathar has been restored for now, the rebuilt bridge remains a short-term solution. The community’s repeated rebuilding efforts highlight a wider need for more durable infrastructure that can handle future monsoon surges.
