In a tragic flip of occasions, a four-lane bridge being constructed over the Ganga River in Bhagalpur district of Bihar, India, collapsed for the second time. The bridge, connecting Sultanganj in Bhagalpur with Aguwani in Khagaria district, was an important infrastructure challenge with an estimated value of ₹1,716 crore. The collapse has prompted the State Authorities to provoke an investigation into the incident.
The bridge’s development has been stricken by setbacks since its inception in 2014. The preliminary deadline for completion was in 2019, nevertheless it has been prolonged a number of instances, failing to fulfill the revised deadlines on eight events. The challenge confronted its first setback final 12 months when the bridge construction collapsed as a consequence of extreme climate circumstances involving robust winds and heavy rainfall. Miraculously, no casualties have been reported throughout both collapse.
Eyewitnesses on the website of the latest collapse revealed that a number of employees have been current on the bridge when it began crumbling. Happily, no studies of accidents or fatalities have emerged to date. Nonetheless, the repeated failures have raised critical considerations in regards to the high quality of development and adherence to security protocols.
The Aguwani Ghat bridge holds nice significance because it serves as an important hyperlink between north and south Bihar. The challenge’s basis stone was laid by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on February 23, 2014, and development formally started on March 9, 2015. Nevertheless, progress has been constantly marred by delays and shortcomings.
The state authorities’s response to the delays has been lenient, as as a substitute of penalizing the development firm accountable, it has repeatedly prolonged the challenge’s deadline. Even by March 2019, solely a mere 25% of the work had been accomplished satisfactorily. The federal government subsequently pushed the completion goal to March 2020 after which additional to 2022, offering extra time with out imposing any penalties.
The primary collapse occurred on April 30, 2022 when the superstructure between pillar numbers 4 and 6 succumbed to the forces of nature. This incident raised critical doubts in regards to the high quality of the development work, but no motion was taken towards the accountable firm. As an alternative, they have been granted extra time to rectify the state of affairs.
Upon receiving information of the newest collapse, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar instantly contacted officers from the highway development division, instructing them to conduct an intensive investigation. He emphasised the necessity for strict motion to be taken towards these discovered accountable. The highway development division is underneath the purview of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who later addressed the media, assuring that stringent measures could be taken towards the responsible events.
The repeated collapse of the bridge raises important considerations in regards to the general administration and execution of the challenge. The state authorities’s determination to grant repeated extensions with out holding the development firm accountable has additional exacerbated the state of affairs. Because the investigation unfolds, it’s essential to find out the basis causes of those failures and implement measures to stop related incidents sooner or later. The completion of the Aguwani Ghat bridge stays a urgent precedence, given its significance in connecting totally different elements of Bihar and facilitating environment friendly transportation throughout the Ganga River.
Class: Nationwide
Tag: Accident, Bihar
