BIHAR BRIDGE COLLAPSE: 12 COLLAPSES IN 17 DAYS – WHAT IS THE REASON BEHIND?

Bihar Bridge Collapse News: At least 12 bridges have collapsed across Bihar in the past 17 days, with the latest incident occurring on Thursday in Saran district. This marks the third bridge collapse in Saran within just two days, according to District Magistrate Aman Samir. No casualties were reported in the collapse of the 15-year-old bridge over the Gandaki River, which connected villages in Saran to neighbouring Siwan district. 

The cause is still under investigation, but officials mentioned recent desilting work in the area. Out of the three bridges in Saran, two on the Gandak River, barely a kilometre apart, collapsed within two hours on Wednesday. One bridge, constructed in 2004, was near the Dodh Nath Temple. The other was a British-era structure. A third bridge, a 15-year-old structure over the Gandaki, collapsed on Thursday.

This incident comes a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a survey of all old bridges in the state to identify those needing urgent repairs. The Chief Minister has called for improved bridge maintenance policies from both the road construction and rural works departments.

Apart from Saran, bridge collapses were reported in Siwan, Chhapra, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj districts in over a fortnight.

Why are bridge collapses becoming common in Bihar?

Chaitanya Prasad, additional chief secretary of the WRD, indicated that the age and substandard construction of the bridges in Siwan and Saran were significant factors in their collapse. He pointed out that many structures did not meet necessary construction standards and had shallow foundations, making them vulnerable during floods, according to Business Standard.

Reasons behind the trend of bridge collapses in Bihar

Experts and retired engineers attributed the frequent collapses to the use of inferior materials, non-compliance with design specifications, poor quality control, and lack of proper supervision.

Meanwhile, some government officials have pointed to the heavy inflow of water from Nepal as a primary cause.

Two bridges collapsed back to back in Kisanganj between June 27 and June 30. One was reported in the village of Khoshi Dangi in Thakurganj, where a pillar of a bridge constructed in 2007-2008 with funds from then MP Taslimuddin was damaged on June 27 due to heavy downpour and subsequent increase in water discharge in the river. Close to 50,000 people are claimed to be affected by this, according to local Mukhiya Jawahar Singh. 

Another bridge was damaged on the Maria river in Kisanganj’s Bahadurganj area. This bridge was built back in 2011 under NDA rule by the state rural works department at an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh.

An under-construction bridge collapsed in the Ghodasahan area of East Champaran. The construction work was being conducted at an estimated cost of Rs 1.5 crore by Dheerendra Construction Company. The locals blamed it on irresponsible construction.

A makeshift bamboo bridge was reportedly damaged on the Baghmati River in the Aurai block of Muzaffarpur district on July 1, with videos going viral on social media. Locals claimed that they build makeshift bridges for commuting every year at their own cost, which get damaged during this season.

Three bridges collapsed back to back in the Maharajganj block of Siwan district on July 3. One collapse was reported in the village of Sikandarpur, another in Deoria panchayat, and the third one in Bhikhabandh. All of these constructions were funded by then MP Prabhunath Singh and are over thirty years old.

Another under-construction bridge on the Bakra river collapsed in Bihar’s Araria on June 18. The project was initiated at an estimated cost of close to Rs 8 crore back in May 2021 and was supposed to be completed by 2023. Locals claim that additional funds were needed to finish the construction of its approach road, without which it was rendered useless. It is claimed that a population of over 2 lakh is directly impacted by the delayed and substandard construction.

Further incidents

On July 2, a small bridge over the Gandaki River in Deoria of Siwan and another small bridge reportedly met the same fate in Teghra block of the district. With today’s collapse, the total number in the past 17 days now stands at 12.

Government and opposition reactions

While the government cites de-siltation drives conducted in the rivers across the state and heavy rain as a possible contributing factor to the series of bridge failures in the state, opposition parties launched an all-out attack on the Nitish Kumar government alleging corruption and lack of action. Criticising the NDA government, senior RJD leader, Tejashwi Yadav, wrote on X, “Four bridges collapsed in Bihar in a single day! The CM and both Dy CMs of the state are silent over it. The NDA government should tell us who is guilty.” 

Public Interest Litigation

Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions for the Bihar government to undertake a structural audit and set up an expert committee to identify bridges that can be either strengthened or demolished based on the findings. The petition, which raised concerns about the safety and longevity of the bridges in the state, sought directions to set up a high-level expert panel and implement real-time monitoring of the bridges according to the parameters of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

2024-07-04T12:54:32Z dg43tfdfdgfd