At least 12 bridges have collapsed in Bihar in the past few months with the latest incident occurring in the Saran district on July 4, bringing back to light the countless bridges that have come crashing down in the northern state in the recent decade.

Bihar is no stranger to bridge collapse incidents. The apathy continues to haunt the state government and the concerned authorities reflecting persistent challenges in infrastructure development and maintenance.

While the government cites de-siltation drives conducted in the rivers across the state and heavy rain as a possible contributing factor to the series of bridge failures in the state, the issue has been the strongest armour for the opposition parties to launch no-holds-barred attacks on the Nitish Kumar government alleging corruption and lack of action.

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Notable incidents include the June 2020 bridge collapse incidents in Bhagalpur and Sattarghat, the latter just 29 days after inauguration. More recently, between June and July 2024, Bihar saw 12 bridge collapses in just 17 days.

Here’s a brief history of bridge collapses in Bihar

  • Bhagalpur bridge collapse – About 14 months ago, parts of an under-construction Sultanganhj Aguwani bridge collapsed in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar during a thunderstorm due to a loose cable. The same four-lane bridge caved in again in June this year.
  • Sattarghat bridge collapse – In July 2020, just 29 days after its inauguration, the Sattarghat bridge over the Gandak river in Gopalganj district collapsed due to heavy rain and strong currents. The incident raised questions about the quality of construction and oversight.
  • Saharsa bridge collapse – Three labourers were injured after a section of the bridge collapsed in Bihar’s Saharsa district in June 2022. The mishap occurred at the eastern side of the Kosi embankment at Kandumer village under Simri Bakhtiyarpur block in Saharsa district.
  • British-era bridge collapse – A 136-year-old road bridge collapsed in the state capital Patna due to excessive rain. The bridge was located in the Fatuha sub-town 25 km away from Patna. The bridge was built in 1884 during the British period.
  • Nalanda bridge collapse – On November 18, 2022, an under-construction road bridge in Bihar’s Nalanda district collapsed claiming one life. The road bridge was under construction on the four-lane stretch in the Vena block.
  • Darbhanga bridge collapse – An iron bridge collapsed due to an overloaded truck in Bihar’s Darbhanga district on January 16, 2024. The incident occurred at Sabohar Ghat under Kusheshwar Asthan block in Darbhanga.
  • Purnia bridge collapse – An under-construction bridge in Bihar’s Purnia district collapsed four hours after concretisation on May 16, 2024. The locals alleged that the contractor and the engineers were using low-quality material which led to the mishap.

12 bridge collapses in 17 days

Two bridges collapsed back to back in Kisanganj between June 27 and June 30. One was reported in the village of Khoshi Dangi in Thakurganj, where a pillar of a bridge constructed in 2007-2008 with funds from then MP Taslimuddin was damaged on June 27 due to heavy downpour and subsequent increase in water discharge in the river. Close to 50,000 people are claimed to be affected by this, according to local Mukhiya Jawahar Singh.

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Another bridge was damaged on the Maria river in Kisanganj’s Bahadurganj area. This bridge was built back in 2011 under NDA rule by the state rural works department at an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh.

On June 23, an under-construction bridge collapsed in the Ghodasahan area of East Champaran. The construction work was being conducted at an estimated cost of Rs 1.5 crore by Dheerendra Construction Company. The locals blamed it on irresponsible construction.

A makeshift bamboo bridge was reported damaged on the Baghmati river in the Aurai block of Muzaffarpur district on July 1, with videos going viral on social media. Locals claimed that they build makeshift bridges for commuting every year at their own cost, which gets damaged during this season.

Three bridges collapsed back to back in the Maharajganj block of Siwan district on July 3. One collapse was reported in the village of Sikandarpur, another in Deoria panchayat, and the third one in Bhikhabandh. All of these constructions were funded by then MP Prabhunath Singh and are over thirty years old.

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Another under-construction bridge on the Bakra river collapsed in Bihar’s Araria on June 18. The project was initiated at an estimated cost of close to Rs 8 crore back in May 2021 and was supposed to be completed by 2023.

On July 2, a small bridge over the Gandaki River in Deoria of Siwan and another small bridge reportedly met the same fate in Teghra block of the district.

Three bridges also collapsed in the first week of July in the Saran district. Out of the three bridges in Saran, two on the Gandak River, barely a kilometer apart, collapsed within two hours on Wednesday. One bridge, constructed in 2004, was near the Dodh Nath Temple. The other was a British-era structure. A third bridge, a 15-year-old structure over the Gandaki, collapsed on July 4.

This latest incident came a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a survey of all old bridges in the state to identify those needing urgent repairs. The Chief Minister has also called for improved bridge maintenance policies from both the road construction and rural works departments.

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A troubling pattern

Bihar has been plagued by a troubling pattern of bridge collapses, with a significant number occurring during the under-construction phase. This alarming trend raises serious concerns about the quality of construction practices, oversight and lack of accountability within the state’s infrastructure projects.

Factors contributing to these premature collapses include substandard materials, lack of skilled labor, desilting of rivers, corruption, and inadequate project management. The consequences of such failures are profound, leading to financial losses, delays in crucial connectivity projects, and, most importantly, potential loss of life. Addressing this issue requires stringent regulatory measures, transparent auditing processes, and a commitment to enhancing the overall standards of construction to ensure the safety and reliability of Bihar’s infrastructure.