Span of bridge collapses in Bihar’s Kishanganj, probe underway

A span of a 100-meter under-construction bridge over Mechi River on a-94-long stretch on NH-327 E between Galgaliya in Kishanganj and Araria collapsed at Gorichak in Bihar’s Kishanganj on Friday raising the question over the quality of construction.

An expert team has been sent to the site to probe the collapse. This is the 11th bridge collapse over the past three years with six (including this one) in 2023.

On June 4, the 3.16 km-long , four-lane bridge over the river Ganga connecting north and south Bihar, built between Sultanganj in Bhagalpur and Aguwani in Khagaria district collapsed.

Abdhesh Kumar project director NHAI, Bihar told HT over phone that an expert team has gone to the site to find out the irregularities if any and on the basis of the report stringent action will be taken. He said it is an under-construction bridge over the Mechi river and there is no traffic on it.

The bridge is being constructed under the widening project of the NH-327E road between Galgaliya-Araria at the cost of 1500 crores by G R Infra projects linking Araria in Bihar with Siliguri in West Bengal.

The road is an alternative to NH-57 reducing the distance to reach Siliguri by about 80 kms. The road will facilitate the travelling of thousands of people of Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur besides Kishanganj and Araria.

The six-span bridge near Gorichak whose third span caved in even when there is no spate in the river has hinted at serious irregularities in quality construction.

“It would have been a serious accident, if there had been traffic on it,” locals said, expressing serious doubt over the ongoing projects. “We demand to probe all the bridges being built on the 94-km-long stretch where the road is being widened,” they demanded.

On May 16, an under-construction bridge (20.10-metre-long) over Dumuhni river under Baisi block of Bihar’s Purnia district collapsed hours after concretisation work on it.

Similarly, on March 19, 2923, two people were injured after a bridge on the Mahanadi river collapsed in Saran district.The stone-laden chip truck was passing over the bridge when it collapsed injuring the driver and cleaner of the truck.