Bihar government suspended sixteen engineers on Thursday after 10 bridges collapsed in the state over the past fortnight. The action also comes a day after a bridge in Saran district fell, prompting CM Nitish Kumar to demand an inspection report on all under-construction and existing bridges in the state within two weeks.
Since June 18, ten bridges have collapsed in Kishanganj, Araria, East Champaran, Madhubani, Siwan and Saran. The ruling government and the Opposition have been exchanging accusations over accountability. Building Construction Minister Ashok Kumar Choudhary pointed fingers at former deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, blaming him for failing to implement a robust bridge maintenance policy during his tenure as the state’s road construction and building construction minister. In response, Yadav dismissed the blame as hypocritical.
The bridge collapses have raised serious concerns about the safety and maintenance of Bihar’s infrastructure. The first incident in this series was the collapse of a newly constructed bridge over the Bakra River in Araria’s Pararia village on June 18.
This was followed by the collapse of a bridge over the Gandak River in Siwan on June 22, which was around 40-45 years old. The next day, an under-construction bridge in East Champaran, with a budget of approximately ₹1.5 crore, also fell, with locals alleging the use of substandard materials.
The political turmoil intensified as five bridges in Araria, Siwan, East Champaran, Kishanganj, and Madhubani districts collapsed in June alone. State Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary assured the public on Thursday that investigations are ongoing, and stringent action will be taken against negligent officers.