Agartala, April 08, 2026: A section of an under-construction bridge over the Manu River connecting the Pabiachhara and Fatikroy Assembly constituencies in Tripura’s Unakoti district collapsed on Tuesday, triggering concern and outrage among local residents.

The incident took place at Sonaimuri-Teliya village, where the bridge project had long been awaited by residents of the surrounding areas. According to local sources, a portion of the structure suddenly gave way, raising fresh questions over the quality of construction and project supervision.

On Wednesday, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman visited the site along with party leaders and inspected the damaged portion of the bridge. Alleging substandard construction, he said the collapse of a bridge before completion reflected serious irregularities in execution.

“The bridge for which people waited for years has collapsed even before completion. This is not merely corruption, but a betrayal of public trust,” Roy Barman told reporters during the visit.

The bridge project, estimated to cost over Rs 6 crore, was initiated in 2017 but remained incomplete after construction stalled midway. Fresh tenders were later floated, and the remaining work was assigned to a Kolkata-based firm under the supervision of the Public Works Department.

The collapse has led to renewed scrutiny over the prolonged delay in execution and alleged use of inferior materials. Roy Barman also alleged that development works across the state were suffering due to poor monitoring and corruption.

Local residents claimed that despite repeated demands for stricter oversight, adequate monitoring mechanisms were not put in place during construction.

The incident has intensified political reactions in the area, with demands growing for a thorough inquiry and accountability from the authorities concerned. Officials are yet to issue a detailed statement on the cause of the collapse or possible action against those responsible.