In a troubling trend for infrastructure in Bihar, an under-construction bridge collapsed in the East Champaran district’s Motihari on Sunday. This marks the third such incident in the state since Tuesday. The ₹1.5-crore bridge, being built by the state’s Rural Works Department (RWD), fell without causing any casualties, officials reported.
“The exact cause is not yet known. It is a serious matter and a departmental inquiry has been ordered. We will take strict action against those found guilty,” stated Dipak Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Bihar’s RWD. “The district administration has already dispatched its senior officials to the site. A detailed report is awaited,” Singh added.
District Magistrate (DM) Saurabh Jorwal also commented on the incident, noting that the exact cause of the collapse was still under investigation. “We have reports that a section of locals initially objected to the construction of some pillars of the bridge. Police are also looking into this matter,” Jorwal stated.
The 16-metre-long structure, built at a cost of ₹1.5 crore, was intended to connect Amwa village in Motihari’s Ghorasahan block to other areas of the block. The bridge was being constructed over a canal by the state government’s RWD.
This collapse follows the fall of a newly constructed bridge over a canal in the Siwan district on the previous day. That bridge connected villages in the Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks. Earlier, on June 18, another newly built bridge, approximately 180 meters in length, collapsed in the Araria district.
These incidents have raised serious questions about the quality of public works in Bihar, especially given the frequency of such mishaps involving bridges—large and small—built over rivers and other water bodies in recent months. Although no casualties have been reported in these incidents, the repeated failures highlight significant concerns regarding construction standards and oversight in the state.
Sources By Agencies
