Bridge collapse outrage: Under-construction bridge collapses in Silchar; Locals demand inquiry into alleged contractor negligence

Silchar: A Rs10.7-crore under-construction bridge collapsed into the Jatinga river in Cachar district on Friday evening, triggering massive public outrage over alleged corruption and criminal negligence. Locals claimed the structure came crashing down because the contractor used temporary wooden supports instead of concrete pillars.

Located in the Borkhola assembly constituency, the middle section of the RCC bridge gave way under the force of the river current. The bridge was being built to connect Purandarpur with Badarpur. Fortunately, no casualty has been reported so far.

The incident has blown the lid off alleged irregularities in the construction process. As news of the collapse spread, a large number of angry residents gathered at the site to protest against the executing agency, accusing it of flouting basic engineering norms.

“We repeatedly demanded a robust and safe bridge, but the contractor failed to install adequate concrete support pillars. Instead, they shockingly relied on temporary wooden supports, which snapped under the river’s current,” a local resident alleged. The abrupt collapse has raised serious questions over the efficacy of safety audits and quality-control measures undertaken by state authorities.

The foundation stone for the ill-fated bridge was laid just months ago, on March 1, 2024, by Silchar MP Rajdeep Roy and Borkhola MLA Misbahul Islam Laskar, under the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led govt’s infrastructure push.

According to the official plaque, the project was valued at Rs 10,77,71,400. The executing agency is the executive engineer of the public works roads department (PWRD), Borkhola and Katigorah division. It was being built under the Mukhya Mantrir Unnoto Pakipath Nirman Achani and funded through NABARD (RIDF XXIX) for the fiscal year 2023-24.

With a major infrastructure project reduced to rubble before completion, aggrieved residents have sought the urgent intervention of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. They are demanding a high-level inquiry into the collapse, a thorough audit of materials used, and strict punitive action against the contractor and concerned PWRD engineers responsible for the oversight.