Churachandpur: A Bailey bridge over the Tuivai River between Sinzawl and Khuanggin villages on NH-102B, also known as Guite Road, collapsed around 10:30 pm on Thursday, cutting off a key supply route for essential commodities to Churachandpur and other hill districts.The Guite Road Chiefs’ Association (GRCA) said the bridge gave way when two cement-laden trucks belonging to a road construction firm under NHIDCL were crossing and had reached near the middle span.Guite Road is a primary link between Churachandpur and Aizawl, used for daily movement of essentials routed from Silchar, Assam, and other locations via Mizoram. The collapse is expected to disrupt supplies and economic activity in Manipur’s hill districts, with the route described as the only lifeline for daily essentials.A GRCA source said the association is “very much concerned over the development” and is “trying every possible means to ensure the bridge becomes pliable again.” The source added that authorities have been alerted and “initiated steps to reinstall the bridge on a war footing.”Traffic has been diverted via the Sinzawl–Dialkhai–Churachandpur route through NH-02. Commuters have been advised to use the alternative route and follow traffic advisories issued by authorities.On Friday, the GRCA condemned the firm’s “reckless and irresponsible conduct” and said it had repeatedly cautioned authorities and stakeholders about the unsafe condition of Bailey bridges on the corridor. The association cited restrictions limiting loads to 20MT and requiring one-by-one crossing of heavy vehicles, adding that the deputy commissioner, Churachandpur, issued a formal advisory on June 20, 2023, enforcing these restrictions.NH-102B is currently the only usable route for residents of Churachandpur to travel in and out of Manipur and for essential supplies entering via Mizoram, sources said. NH-2 (Tedim Road), the traditional corridor through the Imphal Valley to Manipur’s southern hill districts, has remained cut off since ethnic clashes began on May 3, 2023. The route briefly reopened for essential items after a new ministry was formed under Yumnam Khemchand Singh, but was closed again following the Tronglaobi incident in which two children were killed in a bomb blast.With NH-2 disrupted, sources said Guite Road — though longer and costlier — has become unavoidable, with goods for Churachandpur routed via Aizawl after being loaded in Silchar and other parts of Assam. The Churachandpur–Aizawl stretch via NH-102B is about 300–327 km.The highway is being constructed and maintained by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL). With the project incomplete, several Bailey bridges remain in use, including the Tuivai River bridge that collapsed. A similar snapping was reported in 2022 and was attributed to heavy-laden goods traffic.Alternative routes remain largely impractical. The Tipaimukh Road (NH-150) linking Pherzawl to Aizawl is avoided due to longer distance, narrow carriageway, sharp curves and frequent landslides.
