Triple bridge collapse in Bihar takes total to 9 in 15 days

PATNA/CHHAPRA: Three more bridges, two in Siwan and one in Saran district, collapsed on Wednesday, taking the total to nine in the last 15 days. The fresh incidents of bridge collapse comes a day after rural works department minister Ashok Chaudhary announced the setting up of a three-member committee, headed by the chief engineer, to investigate the reasons behind the collapse of bridges.
Both the bridges that collapsed in Siwan district on Wednesday are on the Gandaki 'chhadi' (rivulet) in Maharajganj block. While one was constructed in 1982-83, the other was built in 1998. The bridge in Saran district was from the colonial-era. Luckily, there was no traffic on the bridges when they collapsed.
In Siwan, the incidents happened within 11 days of collapse of a portion of another bridge in Darounda area on June 22.
In Saran, a small British-era bridge, called 'puliya' in the local parlance, collapsed in Janata Bazaar block, disrupting connectivity between Kishunpur and Dandaspur. A similar bridge also exists parallel to it, and is reported to be safe.

Saran district magistrate Amar Samir said that a team of officials was sent to the site to collect detailed information about the incident. "The bridge was quite old and recent rain could be the probable reason behind its collapse," said the DM, adding that steps have been taken to repair it. He has also asked the officials to take security measures, like erecting barricades on both the sides of the bridge.
As to the collapse of the bridges in Siwan, deputy development commissioner Mukesh Kumar told media persons that senior officers of Maharajganj block are looking into the matter. "A portion of the bridge, constructed in 1983, had collapsed, and its causes are yet to be ascertained. The bridge was under repair for the last couple of days," Kumar said.
The second bridge near Nautan Sikandarpur village was constructed with the MP Local Area Development fund of former parliamentarian Prabhunath Singh in 1998.
Incidentally, as the monsoon rains have become consistent both in Nepal and Bihar, big and small rivers and rivulets originating in the neighbouring country are in spate, exerting excessive water pressure on the pillars of the bridges.
Photographs from the sites show that erosion is happening at the points where the approach roads connect with the bridges on both the sides. Since the fast current of the rivulets are scouring the earth at those points, the bridges are further weakened.
The bridge collapse spree in the state started on June 18 with Araria, where a segment of a bridge on Bakra river crumbled. Apart from Araria, one bridge each collapsed in East Champaran, Madhubani and Siwan, besides two in Kishanganj district before Wednesday's triple collapse.
The govt committee formed on Tuesday is scheduled to submit its report within a week, including recommendations on the follow-up steps to be taken.
(With inputs from H K Verma in Saran)