Fragile bridge a threat to life of people in three villages in Sonamura including students, demand for urgent repair

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, July 24, 2026

The people of three villages under Kathalia bock of Sonamura subdivision continue to face a threat to life as they have to cross a very fragile hanging bridge across the river Gomati in Madhuban area. Even though hundreds of people belonging to Barnarayan, Bezimara and Garurband villages cross the river daily to and from Sonamura town the condition of the broken bridge is such that it may collapse anytime leading to fatalities. Besides, students of Sonamura degree college from the three villages also have to cross the bridge daily with lives in their hands.

Sources from Sonamura said that the condition of the bridge is known to all including high-ups in the administration but no step has been taken over the past three years to have the bridge repaired or replaced . What is bizarre is that the administration is busy passing the buck . While the Kathalia block administration claims that repairing the bridge is the responsibility of the Sonamura Nagar Panchayat authority , the Nagar Panchayat authority asserts that the job of repairing or replacing the fragile bridge lies with the Kathalia block administration.

A local leader of the Barnarayan village Ramesh Debnath said that the people of the three villages are not concerned over the tug of war between the Nagar Panchayat and Kathalia block but they do worry over the dangerous condition of the bridge . He demanded that the bridge be repaired or replaced immediately either by the Kathalia block authority or the Sonamura Nagar Panchayat authority, otherwise a major mishap will happen resulting in large number of deaths.

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