PATNA: A small bridge over a rivulet of the Gandak river in Siwan district of Bihar collapsed on Saturday due to the sudden impact of water flow, marking the second such incident in the state within a week, officials reported.
Siwan District Magistrate Mukul Kumar Gupta stated that the bridge was constructed 35-40 years ago. “No injuries were reported in the mishap. We are identifying the agency responsible for its construction and maintenance,” Gupta informed media over the phone.
The bridge, built across an abandoned stream of the Gandak, locally known as Gandaki, connected the villages of Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks. The district magistrate noted that the pillar gave way when water was released from the river. “We are working to minimize inconvenience for the affected villagers until the bridge is restored,” Gupta said.An engineer from the irrigation department in Maharajganj mentioned that the bridge was originally built decades ago using the MLA’s local area development fund.
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, a newly constructed 180-meter-long bridge collapsed in Araria district before its inauguration. This bridge was built by the state’s rural works department (RWD). Following the collapse, three engineers involved in the project were suspended, and the contractor was blacklisted.
Bihar’s Leader of Opposition, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, criticized the recurring infrastructure failures. “Bridges are collapsing in the state with alarming regularity. It seems every week there is a new incident, yet no one is held accountable,” Yadav told reporters in Patna.
