Panisagar, North Tripura: Behind the government’s claims of development lies a starkly different reality in North and South Padmabil Gram Panchayats under Panisagar Assembly constituency, where residents of wards 1 to 4 are battling a crumbling road and a “death trap” bridge with no end in sight.
The only road connecting Jalabazar to Barabazar has remained in disrepair for years, affecting nearly 450 families. Compounding their misery, an old steel-and-railway bridge — the area’s lone alternative route — has reportedly become so unsafe that over 200 schoolchildren are forced to risk their lives crossing it every day, often hand-in-hand with anxious parents.
Locals allege the situation turns life-threatening during medical emergencies, with ambulances unable to reach the area. Pregnant women and critically ill patients, they claim, have had to be carried across the bridge on shoulders or in baskets to access treatment.
Despite repeated representations to the administration and elected representatives, villagers say no concrete action has been taken, with monsoon months worsening the crisis. Residents are now demanding urgent road repair and construction of a permanent, safer bridge before tragedy strikes.