Third bridge collapses in Bihar in one week | Patna News – Times of India
MOTIHARI: A 60-foot-long road bridge under construction on Ghorasahan-Chainpur-Laukhan road under Ghorasahan block in East Champaran district near India-Nepal border collapsed early Sunday morning from one end, said rural works department (RWD) officials of Dhaka division. However, no casualty was reported.
This is the third incident of bridge collapse in Bihar in the past one week.On Saturday, a small bridge collapsed in Siwan district. It was built over a canal, connecting the villages of Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks. Prior to that, on Tuesday, a newly constructed bridge, about 180 metres long, had collapsed in the Araria district.
Officials said the casting of the RCC (reinforced cement concrete) slab of the bridge was done on Saturday by the contractor, but the slab caved in shortly.
Superintending engineer, RWD, Jai Kishor Thakur, told the TOI that some anti-social elements pushed the pillars of shuttering because of which the freshly loaded concrete material fell on the ground. He said that a case has lodged by the contractor of the bridge Dhirendra Kumar with Ghorasahan police station against unidentified persons who were involved in pushing the shuttering. The contractor has alleged in the FIR that some villagers had earlier demanded ‘rangdari’ from him for the construction of the bridge.
The construction of the 60-feet-long road bridge, under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana at the cost of over Rs 1.5 crore, started in March this year and it was to be completed in February 2025 by the RWD.
The superintending engineer said he visited the site of the bridge along with Dhaka division officials and quality control engineers and they were probing the material used for the construction of the bridge. “After getting the final report, we will take proper action,” he said.
The police are also investigating the case.
Meanwhile, the residents of nearby villages have demanded a high-level inquiry into the collapse of the slab of bridge. They alleged that substandard materials were used in the construction of the bridge.
This is the third incident of bridge collapse in Bihar in the past one week.On Saturday, a small bridge collapsed in Siwan district. It was built over a canal, connecting the villages of Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks. Prior to that, on Tuesday, a newly constructed bridge, about 180 metres long, had collapsed in the Araria district.
Officials said the casting of the RCC (reinforced cement concrete) slab of the bridge was done on Saturday by the contractor, but the slab caved in shortly.
Superintending engineer, RWD, Jai Kishor Thakur, told the TOI that some anti-social elements pushed the pillars of shuttering because of which the freshly loaded concrete material fell on the ground. He said that a case has lodged by the contractor of the bridge Dhirendra Kumar with Ghorasahan police station against unidentified persons who were involved in pushing the shuttering. The contractor has alleged in the FIR that some villagers had earlier demanded ‘rangdari’ from him for the construction of the bridge.
The construction of the 60-feet-long road bridge, under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana at the cost of over Rs 1.5 crore, started in March this year and it was to be completed in February 2025 by the RWD.
The superintending engineer said he visited the site of the bridge along with Dhaka division officials and quality control engineers and they were probing the material used for the construction of the bridge. “After getting the final report, we will take proper action,” he said.
The police are also investigating the case.
Meanwhile, the residents of nearby villages have demanded a high-level inquiry into the collapse of the slab of bridge. They alleged that substandard materials were used in the construction of the bridge.
