Section of bridge over Ganga river collapses in Bihar

Representational Image. Pic/iStock

The officials said that a section of an under-construction bridge over Ganga river collapsed in Bihar on Saturday, reported news agency PTI.

Khagaria's District Magistrate Amit Kumar Pandey told PTI that a slab of the Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge collapsed around 8 am.

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"I must tell one thing the entire structure of the under-construction bridge over Ganga river, which is faulty, is supposed to be dismantled by the contractor. The construction work has already been stopped there. The contractor is dismantling the structure at the direction of the Patna High Court," he said, reported PTI.

No casualty was reported in the incident, he said.

Last year, four-five pillars of the bridge collapsed, causing the entire section to collapse into the Ganga river.

A slew of bridges have collapsed in the state over the last few months, raising questions over the quality of construction.

Meanwhile, more than 350 small bridges and culverts across Bihar need urgent repairs, officials said, adding that the issue was raised at a review meeting of the Rural Works Department (RWD) on Friday where Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also present.

It was also noted during the meeting that nearly 1,000 such structures need to be surveyed for necessary action, they added.

Following the meeting, the CM directed the launch of the 'Mukhyamantri Setu Nirman Yojna' to construct small bridges in rural areas to improve road connectivity.

He also ordered immediate repairs of partially damaged bridges and culverts, officials said.

According to a statement by the Chief Minister Office (CMO), "The CM directed officials to launch the 'Mukhyamantri Setu Nirman Yojna' to construct small bridges in rural areas for better road connectivity".

The CM also directed officials to start "immediate repairs" of partially damaged small bridges and culverts across the state and also complete all under-construction bridges at the earliest, the statement added.

"All required steps including proper inspection and maintenance should be done of all bridges/small bridges/culverts to avoid any incident of bridge collapse or cracks, the CM said", the statement added.

Kumar also emphasised the importance of maintaining both existing and newly constructed bridges to prevent incidents of collapse or damage.

He said the government's focus is on developing rural infrastructure, including constructing and upgrading roads in areas with new habitation.

"Only construction of roads and bridges is not important. Their maintenance is equally important. The development of rural infrastructure is the prime focus of our government", the statement said.

Additionally, the state government is considering raising the sanction limit for construction of small bridges from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, allowing District Magistrates more autonomy in approving such projects, sources said.

Recent bridge collapses have been reported in districts including Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj.

(With inputs from PTI)