Motihari (Bihar):

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday claimed another bridge in Bihar has caved in, though an official said it was a makeshift structure that got washed away in heavy rainfall.

Mr Yadav, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, shared on his X handle a video of the incident that has taken place in East Champaran district.

In the clip, people can be heard blaming the use of spurious material for the incident in a village falling under the Madhuban block.

PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

बिहार के पूर्वी चंपारण में आज फिर एक पुल और गिरा। सरकार थोड़े गिरी है जो खबर बनेगी?

बीते दिनों में यह वाँ भ्रष्टाचारी पुल गिरा है। पुलिया, सड़क और बाँध टूटने एवं धँसने के तो मामले अनगिनत है। #Bihar
pic.twitter.com/Rzcnm4B5QH

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 7, 2024

District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal said he was aware of the incident but asserted that it was “not a bridge, not even a causeway”.

“A sewage line passes through Lohargawan village. Some parts of it were uncovered. As per the information we have, a decision was taken at the Panchayat level a few years back to erect a structure across the drain to help people cross it without difficulty”, the DM told PTI over the phone.

Accordingly, the drain was covered with the makeshift structure, not more than a few feet long, he said.

“As is the case with such unregulated works, mud was used and hence it got washed away when heavy rains battered the area. Nonetheless, we are looking into the matter and will do, at our level, whatever is needed,” added the district magistrate.

The incident comes in the backdrop of more than a dozen bridges and causeways collapsing in several Bihar districts in the last couple of weeks, prompting authorities to place under suspension at least 15 engineers, even though no casualties have taken place in such mishaps.

The bridge collapse incidents have also led to a political slugfest, with Mr Yadav training his guns at the Nitish Kumar government, but the ruling NDA shifting the blame on the RJD, pointing out that the Rural Works portfolio was with the party till it was ousted from power in January this year. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A petition has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking to issue direction to the Bihar Government to conduct the highest level structural audit of all existing and under construction bridges in the state and to demolish or retrofit weak structure depending of feasibility in the wake of bridge collapses in the state.

The petitioner and advocate Brajesh Singh, on Wednesday, urged the top court to issue directions to the Bihar Government to conduct the audit.

The petitioner said that the instant issue of bridge collapses in Bihar requires an urgent consideration of the top court as within two years, three major under-construction bridges and other several incidents of the collapse of the large, medium and small bridges happened.

He said that in the said unfortunate man-made incidents some people succumbed and others were injured adding that in the future other incidents may also happen due to the gross negligence of the government and the corrupt nexus of the contractors and concerned agencies.

“It is a matter of grave concern that in a state like Bihar, which is the most flood-prone state of India, the total flood-affected area in the state is 68,800 sq. km which is 73.06 per cent of the total geographical area. Hence such routine accrual of the incident of falling bridges in Bihar is more disastrous as the lives of people at large are at stake. Therefore the urgent intervention of this Hon’ble Court is required to save the lives of people, as the under-construction bridges before its accomplishment collapsed routinely,” the petitioner said.

The petitioner has also sought appropriate direction specifically from the State of Bihar for making proper policy or mechanism for real-time monitoring of the bridges constructed, old and under construction concerning the bridges falling exclusively under the domain of the respondent, the state of Bihar on the same analogy as developed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, vide dated March 4, 2024, for the preservation of National Highways and Centrally Sponsored Schemes and it was issued as a mandatory Guidelines vide, subjected, identification and implementation of real-time Health Monitoring of bridges using sensors to the states including the respondent.”

The petitioner has also sought to issue direction to respondents specifically Bihar for making an efficient permanent body through legislation or executive order, comprising high-level experts from the concerned field for continuous monitoring of all the existing and under-construction bridges in Bihar and also for maintaining the comprehensive database on the health of all existing bridges in the state.

The Public Interest Litigation has highlighted various bridge collapses mostly river bridges in Araria, Siwan, Madhubani, and Kishanganj districts among others in Bihar.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Patna:

 Bihar witnessed the collapse of at least three more bridges or causeways on Wednesday, marking the ninth such incident in the rain-affected state within the past 15 days.

No casualties were reported after the three structures, built 30 to 80 years ago by local authorities, caved in during the day in Saran and Siwan districts, officials said.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, however, alleged that four bridges collapsed in a single day and the chief minister and his deputies are silent.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed the Road Construction Department (RCD) and Rural Works Department (RWD) to immediately conduct a survey of all old bridges in the state and identify those that require immediate repairing.

“Certain portions of bridges/causeways that caved in Siwan and Saran on Wednesday are very old,” Chaitanya Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary, WRD, said in a statement.

“These structures don’t seem to have been constructed following required parameters. It also appears that the foundation was not deep enough, a reason why these structures got damaged during floods,” it said.

First, a portion of a small bridge over the Gandaki river in Deoria block of Siwan district collapsed at around 5 am.

“A portion of a bridge in Deoria block collapsed this morning,” Deputy Development Commissioner Mukesh Kumar said adding that the cause is under investigation.

Later, another small bridge reportedly met the same fate in Teghra block of the district. Despite repeated attempts, the district magistrate of Siwan was not available for his comments.

Two more small bridges also collapsed in Saran, District Magistrate Aman Samir said.

“One small bridge that collapsed in Janta Bazar area was 100 years old. Another one that caved in is located in Lahladpur area and was built 25 years ago. A high-level probe has been ordered,” Samir said.

Local people suggested that heavy rainfall for the past few days may have contributed to the collapse of these small bridges.

More than 10 such incidents of bridge collapse have been reported from different parts of the state in the last 15 days.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed RWD and RCD officials to immediately conduct a survey of all old bridges.

Chairing a meeting to review maintenance policies of the departments, the CM said, “The RCD has already prepared its bridge maintenance policy, and the RWD should immediately chalk out its plan at the earliest.

A total of nine bridges have collapsed in various districts such as Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj within the past 15 days.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, Kumar asked department heads to take strict action against the guilty.

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, the former deputy chief minister said.

“Apparently, since BJP is in the government, corruption and crime are no longer issues,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

An under construction bridge collapsed in Bihar’s Madhubani region on Friday in the fifth incident of its kind in the state over the last nine days.

This incident took place at Madhepur Block of Bheja police station in Madhubani district where a 75 m long bridge was under construction.

The bridge, being built at cost of Rs 3 crore, had been under construction since 2021. It was being built by the Rural Works Department of the Bihar government.

As the water levels rose, a 25 m long supporting pillar crashed into the river below.

Pictures from the site showed the fallen pillars covered with huge tarpaulin sheets.

Tejashwi Yadav, Opposition leader in Bihar assembly, was quick to spotlight the latest fall and take a swipe.

दिन के अंदर बिहार में यह वाँ पुल गिरा है।

मधुबनी-सुपौल के बीच भूतही नदी पर वर्षों से निर्माणाधीन पुल गिरा। क्या आपको पता लगा? नहीं तो, क्यों? बूझो तो जाने? #Bihar#Bridgepic.twitter.com/IirnmOzRSo

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) June 28, 2024

A bridge caved in at Kishanganj district on Thursday.

An under-construction small bridge collapsed in East Champaran district on June 23.

On June 22, a bridge, built over the Gandak canal, collapsed in Siwan.  

On June 19, a portion of an under-construction bridge collapsed in Araria. The concrete bridge over the Bakra River, built after spending crores, came apart in seconds.

Patna:

Bihar saw its fourth instance of bridge collapse in a week, with a bridge caving in at Kishanganj district. The 70-meter bridge on a tributary of the Kankai river, connected Bahadurganj and Dighalbank blocks and its collapse has affected the connectivity between the two towns. No one was injured in the incident.

Officials said the water level of the river had gone up and several pillars in the middle of the bridge sunk about one-and-a-half-feet due to the strong current.

Cellphone videos from the spot, which were widely circulated on social media, showed the middle part of the bridge sagging and almost touching the fast-flowing river, raising concerns that it might disintegrate any time.

On receiving information about the incident, Bahadurganj police station chief Abhinav Parasar reached the spot with his team and immediately barricaded the area at both ends, stopping vehicle movement.

Locals said the bridge was built about six years ago.

The Road Department has also reached the spot and are investigating the matter.

District Magistrate Tushar Singla said the bridge was built in 2011 over Madiya, a small tributary that connects the Kankai river to the Mahananda. “Heavy rainfall in the catchment area in Nepal has led to a sudden rise in the water level. One of the pillars of the bridge could not withstand the strong current,” he was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.

Three incidents of bridge collapse were reported last week from Siwan and Araria districts.

On June 19, a portion of an under-construction bridge over the Bakra river in Bihar’s Araria district, collapsed even before it was inaugurated. The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 12 crore, came apart in seconds. Horrifying videos from the spot showed the huge chunks of concrete being washed away.

#WATCH | Bihar | A portion of a bridge over the Bakra River has collapsed in Araria pic.twitter.com/stjDO2Xkq3

— ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2024

Over the last few years, a number of similar incidents have taken place in various parts of the state, leading to questions about the quality of public works in the state.

Motihari:

An under-construction small bridge collapsed in East Champaran district on Sunday in third such incident in Bihar in less than a week, officials said.

No casualty was reported in the incident that happened in Ghorasahan block in Motihari, they said.

The 16-metre-long bridge was being built over a canal by the state’s Rural Works Department (RWD) to connect Amwa village to other areas of the block. It was being built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore, they added.

“The exact cause of the incident is not yet known. It is a serious matter and a departmental inquiry has been ordered. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty,” Additional Chief Secretary of RWD Dipak Kumar Singh told PTI.

“Senior officers of the district administration have reached the spot. A detailed report is awaited,” he said.

District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal said the exact cause of the incident was being ascertained.

“There are reports that a section of locals initially objected to the construction of certain pillars of the bridge. Police are also looking into this matter,” he told PTI.

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.

The state has been witness to several mishaps involving bridges, large and small, constructed over rivers and other water bodies. Though such incidents have not resulted in casualties, these have led to questions being raised on the quality of public works. PTI CORR PKD SOM

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Patna:

The sudden collapse of a bridge in Bihar’s Siwan today caused widespread panic and uproar in the area. The collapse of the bridge over the Gandak canal occurred with a loud noise that was heard till the neighbouring Ramgarh in Darbhanga district.

Initial reports indicate no casualties from the incident. A video capturing the moment of the bridge’s collapse has surfaced, highlighting the severity of the structural failure. The bridge, which connected the markets of Patedhi Bazar in Maharajganj district with Ramgarh Panchayat in Darbhanga, served as a crucial link for thousands of commuters daily.

Residents have expressed outrage over the negligence that led to the collapse, pointing out that the bridge was quite old and had not been maintained properly since its construction nearly 40 years ago during the canal’s development phase. The improper handling during the canal’s construction led to erosion around the bridge pillars, eventually causing one of them to collapse.

The collapse has completely cut off access across the Gandak canal, forcing residents to travel long distances to reach neighbouring villages.

The incident comes just days after a similar incident in Araria, where a concrete bridge over the Bakra River, built after spending crores, came apart in seconds. Visuals showed the bridge, over the fast-flowing river, tilted on one side and a crowd gathered on the banks near the bridge, recording the moment it collapsed. Built at Rs 12 crore, the bridge collapsed before its inauguration.