The construction of a Rs. 1710 crore bridge was being undertaken by SP Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd. on behalf of Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited.
Bihar Bridge Collapse News :
Disaster struck again on Saturday as part of the four-lane bridge under construction across the Ganga River, between Aguwani Ghat and Sultanganj, crumbled. Officials from the Road Construction Department (RCD) reported that this marks the third instance of different sections of the bridge collapsing during the construction phase.
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A significant portion of the under-construction Aguwani-Sultanganj Ghat bridge in Bhagalpur, Bihar, collapsed and plunged into the surging waters of the Ganges River. The affected section was located between piers nine and ten, and was part of the ambitious project to connect Sultanganj and Agwani Ghat across the river.
This bridge, a colossal undertaking estimated to cost Rs. 1710 crore, was being constructed by SP Singla Construction Pvt. Limited on behalf of the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited.
A significant portion of the 3.11-kilometer, four-lane bridge under construction across the Ganga River collapsed on June 5th of the previous year. The collapse, affecting sections supported by pillars nine through eleven, occurred as the river was in spate. This was not the first incident; in April 2022, another part of the same bridge had suffered a similar fate.
Intended to be the sixth bridge connecting northern Bihar to its southern counterpart, the structure was designed to significantly curtail travel times to the cities of Sultanagnj, Khagaria, Saharsa, Madhepura, and Supaul. Moreover, it was envisioned as a crucial link between National Highways 31 and 80, facilitating smoother transportation across the Ganga.
The public’s safety was compromised when the RCD allowed the construction firm to undertake the bridge’s reconstruction despite overwhelming evidence of its incompetence. Experts from IIT-Roorkee had clearly documented severe design deficiencies and the use of inferior materials in the original construction. The department’s decision to bypass potential penalties, including blacklisting the company, has raised concerns about its commitment to public welfare.
Despite multiple public interest litigations (PILs) filed by concerned citizens in the Patna High Court, the Road Construction Department (RCD) appears to have turned a blind eye to allegations of substandard construction materials being used in the bridge project. These PILs explicitly accused the department of overlooking irregularities committed by the construction firm.
Repeated attempts to seek comments from Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, who heads the RCD portfolio, and Additional Chief Secretary (RCD) Pratyay Amrit were unsuccessful.
