Why are Bihar bridges falling like pins? Here are the possible reasons

In the past 15 days, Bihar has witnessed the collapse of nearly a dozen bridges, raising serious concerns about construction quality and material usage. The incidents, occurring less than a month into the monsoon season, have prompted officials to suggest that the root cause might be linked to unscientific river dredging and desilting.

Falling like Pins: Cause of Collapse

As per some reports, desilting and dredging activities, aimed at preparing for the monsoon, could be reason behind the collapses. The removal of mud and silt around the bridge pillars may have destabilized their foundations. The increased water flow from dredging also impacted the embankments, further weakening the bridges.

Heavy Rainfall and Poor Materials

While some attribute the collapses to heavy rainfall, some reports quoting experts argue that usage of sub-standard materials, failure to follow design protocols, poor quality control, and inadequate supervision could also be the other reasons. A significant water flow from upstream Nepal has also contributed to the factor.

Government's Response

Speaking to reporters, Chaitanya Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources Department (WRD) said, "Preliminary reports from Siwan and Saran suggest that the Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) for maintenance of the small bridges and desiltation work of the canal were not followed by the government engineers in both districts. The recent desiltation drives conducted in canals in Siwan and Saran by contractors also weakened the foundation of the structures that collapsed."

Political Reactions

The collapses have sparked political controversy, with opposition leaders criticizing the government. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav stated, "Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are silent over these incidents in Bihar. What happened to the claims of good governance and corruption-free government? These incidents show how corruption is rampant in every department of the state government."

Similarly, BJP leader Dr. Nikhil Anand expressed concerns, saying, "I am afraid of crossing through any flyover or bridge in Bihar. Surprised that in last 10 days half a dozen bridges have collapsed. A serious probe & auditing is needed. The responsibility be fixed on the construction company, blacklist them. The engineers must be booked," he said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, in response to a series of bridge collapses across Bihar, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has cited the unusually heavy monsoon rains as the main culprit. Over the past 15 days, 10 bridges have collapsed in the state, sparking concerns about infrastructure safety and upkeep.

Speaking to the media, Manjhi said, "It is monsoon time. There has been an abnormal amount of rain, which is the reason behind the collapse of bridges. But, the CM of the state is very sensitive towards the investigation... He did a meeting yesterday and has given strict instructions that strict action should be taken against any kind of negligence..."