Footbridge over Singla river in Sribhumi washed away

Silchar: A temporary footbridge over the Singla river at Anipur was washed away on Wednesday morning following a sharp rise in water levels triggered by incessant rainfall over the past two days, officials said.The footbridge had been constructed as an interim arrangement for pedestrian movement after an RCC bridge at the site collapsed nearly two months ago.According to officials of the district disaster management authority, restoration work is expected to resume within the next three days, subject to improvement in weather conditions. Preparations are underway to rebuild the crossing, though continuous rainfall over the past weeks has kept the river in spate, delaying construction efforts.“The water level has risen significantly due to persistent rain, making it difficult to carry out repair work. Once the river recedes, work will restart on priority,” an official said.The earlier bridge had neared completion but collapsed before it could be opened for use, further aggravating the situation.It may be noted that since Feb 11, vehicular movement along the Ramkrishnanagar-Sribhumi road has remained disrupted after two stone-laden trucks attempting to cross from Anipur towards North Tripura triggered structural damage to the bridge. At present, vehicles are being diverted through a forest department rural road, leading to longer travel time and inconvenience for commuters.