A 15-year-old bridge spanning the Gandaki River in Bihar’s Saran district collapsed on July 4, as reported by India Today. This marks the third bridge collapse in Saran within a 24-hour period, according to District Magistrate Aman Samir. The recent incident adds to a concerning trend of bridge collapses in Bihar, with at least 12 bridges collapsing across the state in the past 17 days. While no casualties have been reported so far, the repeated collapses have raised serious concerns about the safety and maintenance of infrastructure in the state. The collapsed bridge, constructed 15 years ago, connected villages in Saran to the neighboring Siwan district. The district magistrate has stated that desilting work was recently undertaken on the bridge, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collapse.
Following the recent spate of bridge failures, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a survey of all old bridges in the state to identify those in need of urgent repairs. Earlier on the same day, another bridge collapse was reported in Bihar, marking the 10th such incident in the state within a fortnight. In response to the alarming situation, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Bihar government to undertake a structural audit of bridges and establish an expert committee to assess their safety. The petition, filed by advocate Brajesh Singh, highlights the urgent need for comprehensive action to ensure the safety and longevity of bridges in the state.
On Wednesday, Saran district witnessed the collapse of two small bridges, one in the Janta Bazar area and another in the Lahladpur area. The District Magistrate has ordered a high-level probe to investigate the cause of these collapses. With the increasing frequency of bridge failures, authorities in Bihar face the critical task of addressing the underlying infrastructure issues and ensuring the safety of its citizens.
