Melaghar Sonamura Road Mishap: Construction Negligence responsible?
Melaghar (Tripura), Dec 16:
Serious safety concerns have surfaced following a major road accident late Monday night on the Melaghar–Sonamura main road, where hazardous construction materials left unattended reportedly led to a life-threatening incident involving a two-wheeler rider.
The victim, identified as 50-year-old Biswajit Debnath, a resident of the Sonamura Bar Narayan area, met with a severe accident in the Indira Nagar Colony stretch of Melaghar.
The mishap occurred after his motorcycle collided with piles of stones dumped on the main road as part of ongoing road construction work.
The road section is part of an international development corridor connecting Udaipur Matabari to Sonamura Srimantapur.
While construction has progressed smoothly in several areas, nearly a one-kilometre stretch from Melaghar Colony to Pachar Mar Ghat remains heavily damaged and dug up. The work is reportedly being executed by an out-of-state contracting agency.
Despite standard norms requiring warning signboards, barricades, reflectors, or red caution markers at construction sites, this particular stretch allegedly lacks adequate safety arrangements.
As a result, motorists—especially two-wheeler riders—are facing daily difficulties. The situation becomes even more dangerous after dark, when visibility is low and construction debris blends into the roadway.
According to eyewitnesses, after hitting the stone heap, Debnath was thrown off his bike and fell into a deep pit dug alongside the road for side-wall construction.
The pit is estimated to be at least 20 feet deep. A loud crashing sound alerted nearby residents, who immediately rushed to the scene.
Local residents, led by Pranta Das, managed to rescue the injured man from the pit and brought him onto the main road.
The Melaghar Fire Service promptly arrived and shifted the critically injured biker to Melaghar Hospital.
Given the seriousness of his injuries, doctors referred him to Agartala GB Hospital for advanced treatment.
Police from Melaghar Police Station later visited the accident site, conducted a preliminary inspection, and recovered the damaged motorcycle, which was taken into police custody.
Local residents have strongly criticized the construction agency for occupying a large portion of the main road with dumped stones and failing to implement basic safety measures.
They allege that similar minor accidents occur frequently at night along this stretch and have demanded immediate intervention by the authorities.
The incident has once again raised pressing questions about road safety management, contractor accountability, and the lack of proper monitoring during large-scale infrastructure projects.
Residents are urging the administration to ensure proper signage, barricading, and removal of hazardous materials to prevent further accidents on this busy roadway.