Bihar CM orders urgent probe after damage to Vikramshila Bridge
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has ordered an urgent technical assessment and immediate traffic diversions after damage was reported to a span of the Vikramshila Bridge over the Ganga, a key arterial link between Bhagalpur and Naugachhia.
A technical investigation team is working in Bhagalpur, comprising officials from the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited and experts from IIT Patna and NIT Patna, and headed by the state’s engineer-in-chief (works management). The team is expected to submit a detailed report on the cause of the damage which has affected the movement of 16 districts of the State.
Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Chairman Chandrashekhar Singh said that Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has spoken with the Defence Minister and the Army chief to ensure alternative arrangements for people with the help of Border Road Organisation and the army setup.
Chairing a high-level review meeting in Patna, the CM directed officials to secure alternative transport arrangements for commuters and ensure that restoration work is carried out “expeditiously” once expert findings are received. He also called for strict enforcement of maintenance standards across all major bridges in the state, warning that negligence would not be tolerated.
In the interim, the state government announced a free steamer service for pedestrians and two-wheelers across the Ganga to reduce disruption. Authorities have also been instructed to streamline vehicular movement on the alternative Munger-Bhagalpur route via the Shri Krishna Setu and National Highway 33.
The crucial link between Bhagalpur and Seemanchal in North Bihar totally snapped on Sunday night after one slab of the bridge collapsed suddenly. The crack had emerged recently, and it was seen by many travellers. The huge rush of vehicles from Bhagalpur and adjoining districts to Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj and ten districts, as well as Nepal, came to a sudden halt. This bridge is a link between southern Bihar and Seemanchal.
It was around 12.55 am when the bridge collapsed.
