Under-Construction Rs 10 Crore Bridge Collapses into Jatinga River in Cachar

A portion of an under-construction bridge connecting Purandarpur and Badarpur in Assam’s Cachar district collapsed into the Jatinga River on Friday afternoon, triggering strong reactions from local residents, who alleged negligence and the use of poor-quality materials in the project.

The incident took place in the Borkhola Legislative Assembly constituency while construction work on the bridge was underway. According to reports, the middle portion of the structure suddenly gave way due to the river current and collapsed into the riverbed.

The bridge project, estimated at around Rs 10 crore, was inaugurated in 2024 by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The collapse of such a large section before completion has raised serious concerns among residents regarding the quality and safety of the construction work.

Locals expressed sharp anger over the incident and alleged that extremely poor-quality materials were used in the construction. They further claimed that the work was carried out without following proper scientific methods and engineering standards.

One local resident alleged that despite repeated protests and public demands for a proper bridge, adequate support pillars were not installed during construction. Instead, wooden supports were reportedly used, which later broke apart. The resident further claimed that the construction work was poorly executed and failed to meet the required standards.

Residents have now demanded urgent intervention from the state government, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, as well as the concerned departmental authorities.

The foundation plaque installed near the site states that the project is being executed by the Executive Engineer of the Public Works Roads Department, Borkhola and Katigorah, under the Mukhya Mantrir Unnoto Pakipath Nirman Achani scheme funded through RIDF XXIX of NABARD for the year 2023–24.

According to the plaque, the official tender amount for the project is Rs 10,77,71,400. The foundation stone for the RCC bridge over the Jatinga River was laid on 1 March 2024 in the presence of Silchar MP Rajdeep Roy and Borkhola MLA Misbahul Islam Laskar.