A section of the superstructure of the under-construction Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge collapsed and fell into the Ganga River in Bihar.
Although no injuries were reported in the latest incident involving the bridge that has been nine years in the making, the repeated collapses of various sections of the bridge raise serious questions about the quality of construction and the alignment of the project.
This latest collapse of the Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat road bridge has intensified concerns, especially since the construction company responsible for the project SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd, has not yet provided any clarification regarding the incident.
Eyewitnesses at the construction site captured the collapse on camera and these videos were quickly shared on social media platforms.
This bridge, envisioned as a key infrastructure project by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was intended to connect Sultanganj in Bhagalpur District with Aguani Ghat in Khagaria District, facilitating easier travel from Bhagalpur to Jharkhand via Khagaria.
It was also expected to alleviate traffic congestion on the Vikramshila Bridge, a critical link in the region.
However, the repeated collapses - this being the third incident, with a previous collapse on June 4, 2023 -highlight significant flaws and poor quality of construction.
The earlier collapse between pillar numbers 10 and 12 on the Khagaria side led to widespread criticism of the Bihar government.
In response, the government penalised SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd., and mandated that the bridge be rebuilt at the company's expense.
Notably, another section of the bridge on the Bhagalpur side collapsed on June 30, 2022, when the superstructure between pillar numbers 5 and 6 fell into the Ganga River.
The most recent collapse on Saturday involved the superstructure made of iron angles, which also plunged into the river.
Experts have pointed to misalignment issues as a likely cause for these repeated failures.
The foundation stone for the 3.16 km bridge was laid on February 23, 2014, with construction beginning on March 9, 2015.
The Bihar government allocated Rs 1,710 crore to the project, highlighting its significance as a major infrastructure initiative.
Despite this, after nearly nine years in the making, the bridge remains incomplete.
The Bihar government's road construction department has managed to build a 16 km approach road from the Khagaria side and a 4 km approach road from the Bhagalpur side, but the main structure of the bridge remains unfinished.
This long delay, combined with the repeated structural failures, has cast a shadow over the project's execution and the quality of work by SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd.
The situation calls for an urgent review and corrective measures to ensure that the bridge, once completed, is safe and reliable for public use.
India vs Australia LIVE, 1st Test Day 1: Debuts Expected In Both Camps; Focus On Perth Pitch India To Hand 2 Debuts, Major Change At No. 3 vs Australia - Report Makes Big Claim Fact Check: Video Of Bridge Cracking In West Bengal Shared As From Bihar Amazon Employee Greets Friend At Wedding, Dies Of Cardiac Arrest This Asian City Is Emerging As Sex Tourism Hub. It's Not Where You Think Russia's Firing Of ICBM On Ukraine Is Weapon's 1st Combat Use In History TIME Magazine Shares Elon Musk's To-Do List, He Responds Newspaper Clipping Claiming Uddhav Thackeray Apologised For 1992 Riots Fake After Bibles And Watches, Trump Is Selling Autographed Guitars For $10,000 Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.