Decision Makers:
Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar
RCD (Road Construction Department), Sri Pratyaya Amrit I.A.S., Additional Chief Secretary
RWD (Rural Works Development), Sri Dipak Kumar Singh, I.A.S
Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam, Chairman, Sri Abhay Kumar Singh, I.A.S.
Demands:
Conduct structural audits of all bridges in Bihar on priority
Set up expert committee to identify bridges that must be demolished/strengthened
Create comprehensive policy on maintenance of bridges
Barely a month into the Monsoon season and Bihar has broken a record.The state has seen at least 10 bridges collapse in a
matter of 15 days. The latest was the collapse of a 15-year-old bridge over the Gandaki River in Bihar's Saran district on 4 July. This marks the third bridge collapse incident within 24 hours. This bridge served as an important link between Saran district and the neighboring Siwan district. The incident raises questions about the quality of the construction materials used.
While the exact cause of the collapse remains unknown, officials stated that desilting work was recently undertaken and could be attributed to the collapse. The collapse could be due to lapses on the part of engineers and contractors while undertaking de-siltation, according to the Additional Chief Secretary of the state Water Resources Department.
“While desilting the rivers, an official said, mud and silt were also removed from around the pillars on which the bridges stood, leaving them without any kind of base. Dredging, which involves removing mud, rocks and other material from the bottom of the river, was also done to increase the flow of water, but the effect on the embankments wasn't taken into account.” [1]
Other districts that have reported similar incidents include Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts.
Advocate Brajesh Singh has filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding the set up of an expert committee to look into the matter and for the state to conduct structural audits of all bridges.
We are echoing the same demands. Such incidents pose a grave threat to the lives of people, especially since Bihar is a flood-prone state. Enough measures must be taken to ensure the safety of citizens remains a top priority. The state government must take accountability for such lapses and ensure such incidents do not occur in the future.
Sources:
- Overzealous Desilting May Be Behind Bihar's Record Bridge Collapses: Officials
- Bihar bridge collapse: 15-year-old bridge over Gandaki River collapses in Saran, third in past 24 hours | Today News
- PIL in Supreme Court seeks structural audit of all Bihar bridges - The Hindu
- Bihar official cites lapses by engineers, contractors after 12 bridges collapse
Decision Makers:
Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar
RCD (Road Construction Department), Sri Pratyaya Amrit I.A.S., Additional Chief Secretary
RWD (Rural Works Development), Sri Dipak Kumar Singh, I.A.S
Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam, Chairman, Sri Abhay Kumar Singh, I.A.S.
Demands:
Conduct structural audits of all bridges in Bihar on priority
Set up expert committee to identify bridges that must be demolished/strengthened
Create comprehensive policy on maintenance of bridges
Barely a month into the Monsoon season and Bihar has broken a record.The state has seen at least 10 bridges collapse in a
matter of 15 days. The latest was the collapse of a 15-year-old bridge over the Gandaki River in Bihar's Saran district on 4 July. This marks the third bridge collapse incident within 24 hours. This bridge served as an important link between Saran district and the neighboring Siwan district. The incident raises questions about the quality of the construction materials used.
While the exact cause of the collapse remains unknown, officials stated that desilting work was recently undertaken and could be attributed to the collapse. The collapse could be due to lapses on the part of engineers and contractors while undertaking de-siltation, according to the Additional Chief Secretary of the state Water Resources Department.
“While desilting the rivers, an official said, mud and silt were also removed from around the pillars on which the bridges stood, leaving them without any kind of base. Dredging, which involves removing mud, rocks and other material from the bottom of the river, was also done to increase the flow of water, but the effect on the embankments wasn't taken into account.” [1]
Other districts that have reported similar incidents include Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts.
Advocate Brajesh Singh has filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding the set up of an expert committee to look into the matter and for the state to conduct structural audits of all bridges.
We are echoing the same demands. Such incidents pose a grave threat to the lives of people, especially since Bihar is a flood-prone state. Enough measures must be taken to ensure the safety of citizens remains a top priority. The state government must take accountability for such lapses and ensure such incidents do not occur in the future.
Sources:
- Overzealous Desilting May Be Behind Bihar's Record Bridge Collapses: Officials
- Bihar bridge collapse: 15-year-old bridge over Gandaki River collapses in Saran, third in past 24 hours | Today News
- PIL in Supreme Court seeks structural audit of all Bihar bridges - The Hindu
- Bihar official cites lapses by engineers, contractors after 12 bridges collapse