Another bridge collapses in Bihar; 12th such incidence in last 17 days
At least 12 bridges have collapsed in Bihar over the last 17 days, with the most recent occurrence on Thursday in Saran district. This is Saran’s third bridge collapse in only two days, according to District Magistrate Aman Samir.
There were no injuries in the collapse of the 15-year-old bridge over the Gandaki River, which connected Saran villages to the neighboring Siwan area. The cause is still being investigated, but officials have noted recent desilting work in the area.
On Wednesday, two of Saran’s three bridges on the Gandak River, separated by only a kilometer fell within two hours. One bridge, built in 2004, was located near the Dodh Nath Temple. The other was a British-era construction.
A third bridge, a 15-year-old structure over the Gandaki, fell on Thursday.
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CM Nitish Kumar ordered a survey of all old bridges in Bihar a day ago
This incident occurred a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a survey of all old bridges in the state to identify those that require immediate repairs. The Chief Minister has urged for better bridge maintenance strategies from the road building and rural works departments.
In addition to Saran, bridge collapses have been reported in Siwan, Chhapra, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj districts in the last two weeks.
Timeline of bridge collapses in Bihar
| June 18 | Araria |
| June 22 | Siwan |
| June 23 | East Champaran |
| June 27 | Kisanganj |
| June 28 | Madhubani |
| July 1 | Muzaffarpur |
| July 3 | 3 in Siwan, 2 in Saran |
| July 4 | Saran |
Between June 27 and June 30, two bridges in Kisanganj fell one after the other.
One incident occurred in the village of Khoshi Dangi in Thakurganj, where a pillar of a bridge built in 2007-2008 with finances from then-MP Taslimuddin was damaged on June 27 due to a significant downpour and consequent rise in water discharge in the river. According to local Mukhiya Jawahar Singh, this is expected to affect approximately 50,000 people.
Plea filed in Supreme Court to take immediate action
Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking orders for the Bihar government to conduct a structural audit and form an expert committee to identify bridges that can be strengthened or demolished based on the results.
The petition, which raised concerns about the safety and durability of the state’s bridges, requested that a high-level expert panel be formed and that real-time monitoring of the bridges be implemented in accordance with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ guidelines.
