Rs 1,710-crore underconstruction bridge in Bihar caves in again

BHAGALPUR: A 3.16km bridge being built across the Ganga in Bihar since 2014 collapsed twice in 14 months-first on the Sultanganj side in April 2022 and the second time this Sunday evening at the Khagaria end-attracting public outrage and ridicule on social media, and prompting CM Nitish Kumar to order an investigation with instructions to punish those guilty for the repeat disaster.
Government officials were tight-lipped and bridge-makers, Singla Constructions Ltd, didn't issue any statement till the time this report went to the press. Sources said no casualty was reported, today being a Sunday.
The source said at least 30 slabs placed on legs, including pillar numbers 9, 10 and 11, of the four-lane Sultanganj-Aguani Ghat bridge, connecting Sultanganj in Bhagalpur with Khagaria, caved in and fell on the river. Pillar number 4, 5 and 6 had collapsed last year.
The Rs 1,710-crore bridge has been three years behind already, as it was supposed to be completed by March 2020 after CM Nitish laid the foundation on February 23, 2014. The CM asked Sunday additional chief secretary (road construction) Pratyaya Amrit to identify those responsible and take stern action.
Lalit Narayan Mandal, the JD(U) legislator for Sultanganj, visited the site with construction company officials. He also demanded a high-level inquiry.
Last year, a loose cable was blamed for the accident, while there were also accusations of faulty and substandard material being used in the construction. The latest accident could set the completion of the bridge by a couple of years, at least, sources said.
The bridge would be the sixth on the Ganga to connect northern Bihar with its south, reducing travel time in a vast swathe covering Sultanagnj, Khagaria, Saharsa, Madhepura and Supaul. The entire project covers 23.16km, with an approach road of 4km on the Sultanganj side and 16km at the other end.