Lagatar24 Desk
Siwan(Bihar): Two bridges in Bihar’s Siwan district collapsed on Wednesday amid heavy rainfall, marking the seventh such incident in the state within the past 15 days. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.
The bridges, located in the Deoria block, were crucial connectors for several villages to Mahrajganj. Their collapse has severely disrupted traffic and the movement of people in the area. One of the bridges, constructed in 1998 at a cost of Rs 6 lakh with funds from then-MP Prabhunath Singh, and the other built in 2004 for Rs 10 lakh from the same funds, had not undergone any repairs since their construction.
Villagers believe that the recent heavy rainfall and the subsequent surge in the Gandaki River might have weakened the bridges’ structures, leading to their collapse. This incident follows another bridge collapse in Siwan just 11 days ago, emphasizing the urgent need for infrastructure assessment and maintenance in Bihar.
Earlier bridge collapses in other districts such as Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj have prompted the Bihar government to establish a high-level committee to investigate these recurring incidents. The repeated failures of vital infrastructure highlight the growing concerns over the safety and durability of bridges in the state, particularly in the face of adverse weather conditions.
As the Bihar government probes these incidents, the residents of affected areas hope for swift action and long-term solutions to prevent further disruptions and ensure the safety of the state’s infrastructure.