A bridge over the Ganga collapsed in Katihar, Bihar, on August 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A bridge being constructed over the Ganga at Bakia Sukhay in Bihar’s Katihar district collapsed on Thursday, officials said. This is the 14th instance of bridge collapse in the State since June. The bridge was being constructed at a cost of ₹3 crore by the Rural Works Department and was expected to be inaugurated soon.
This project was to be completed in 2023 but its deadline revised to July 2024. With the construction of this bridge, the people of Bakia Sukhay gram panchayat and its surrounding areas would have had direct access to Barari, the block headquarters, by road. Currently, residents pass through Katihar in nearby Bhagalpur district, to reach Barari town.
Residents said it had rained continuously for the past two days in the area and the rain, coupled with the heavy flow in the Ganga, had led to the collapse. “Due to the erosion caused by the river Ganga, two pillars of the bridge built by the Rural Works Department, collapsed. The matter is being investigated and action would be taken accordingly,“ said Anwar Jamal, Chief Engineer, Katihar Flood Control Division.
There have been a slew of bridge collapses in the State in the past 30 days. On June 22, a portion of a bridge collapsed in Siwan and on June 18, in Araria, an under-construction bridge had caved-in. On July 10, a bridge had come crashing down at Mahishi village in Saharsa district. The Bihar government has suspended at least 15 engineers in connection with the mishaps.
The most recent bridge collapse also comes at the time when a bridge in Araria district had been criticised for being constructed in the middle of an open field, with no road connectivity on either side. Officials said acquisition of land for the bridge was completed but land was not acquired for the approach roads. Araria District Magistrate Inayat Khan has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report from the officials concerned.
“This matter has come to my notice as well and I have asked the SDO [sub-divisional officer], CO [circle officer] and engineers concerned to visit the spot and submit a report on an urgent basis. Necessary action would be taken against the responsible people. I will also ensure that the project is completed and people get its benefit,” Ms. Khan said.
The structure is part of the proposed 3.5 km road between Parmanandpur Lakshmisthan and Kopari border under Mukhyamantri Grameen Sadak Yojana.
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.