A day after a portion of an under-construction bridge collapsed near Ghori in Bihar’s Kishanganj district, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on Sunday suspended four officials who were part of the project. The incident marked the 11th bridge collapse within the state over the past three years.
The under-construction bridge over the Mechi river would link Kishanganj and Katihar upon completion. “The NHAI has suspended four officials who were associated with the construction of the bridge. The project is worth Rs 1500 crore,” NHAI Regional Manager Awadesh Kumar said. He, however, did not reveal the names of the officials suspended.
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A pillar of the bridge near Ghori on NH-327E collapsed on Saturday. The superstructure was erected in May and the bridge was not yet in operation. An expert committee has been formed, which is scheduled to visit the site for a detailed investigation, another NHAI official said.
The bridge formed a vital component of the widening project on NH-327E, connecting Galgaliya to Araria at a cost of 1500 crores, spearheaded by G R Infra projects. The project aimed to reduce the distance between Araria in Bihar and Siliguri in West Bengal by approximately 80 kilometers. This alternative route to NH-57 would have facilitated smoother travel for residents of Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Kishanganj, and Araria, according to Hindustan Times.
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Other bridge collapse incidents
Another under-construction bridge, which was supposed to connect Khagaria district with Bhagalpur, had collapsed on June 4. The State government slapped a show cause notice on the construction company concerned.
Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav had earlier indicated that portions of the bridge had been demolished earlier in a planned fashion and the final collapse indicated that fears about the structural stability of the bridge were correct.
The incident took place a year after another portion had collapsed during a thunderstorm.
On May 16, an under-construction bridge over the Dumuhni River in Bihar's Purnia district collapsed just hours after concretization work, heightening worries about construction practices. Additionally, on March 19, 2023, a bridge over the Mahanadi River in Saran district gave way, resulting in injuries to the driver and cleaner of a stone-laden chip truck crossing the bridge.
