Araria (Bihar): Another instance of bridge collapse was witnessed in Bihar on Wednesday. A bridge in Amhara Panchayat of Forbesganj in Bihar's Araria district collapsed due to flood in Kosi river, snapping communication with many villages and leaving residents in distress.
The bridge, set up by the Rural Works Department in 2017, served as a link between Gopalpur and Majhua areas, connecting Forbesganj, Amhara and several other villages. A few years after construction, the bridge became dilapidated and the department was informed about it. But, no action was taken to repair it, villagers complained.
''The condition of the bridge deteriorated and the leaders and officials had seen it for themselves. An assurance was given that the bridge would be repaired very soon. But the officials did not pay any attention and the bridge was finally washed away by water," Vaidyanath Paswan, former Sarpanch, Madhwa Panchayat said.
A villager said that the water level of Kosi river has risen three to four days ago and due to the negligence of the department, the bridge collapsed. There is another bridge in this area, that too will collapse, he apprehended.
''This bridge used to be the main link road, but today it has collapsed. If the water level rises further, then the traffic will be completely disrupted. In such a situation, if someone falls ill today, how will he be taken to the hospital?" Manoj Vishwas, a villager of Madhwa Panchayat asked.
Notably, more than 15 bridges have collapsed in the state this monsoon season while many culverts and roads were washed away due to rains and rising river water levels. The series of bridge collapse had started from Araria on June 18 and after that, incidents were reported from Siwan, Saran, Motihari, Madhubani, Kishanganj and other districts.
Read more
Bihar: Third Bridge Collapses In Saran In Last 24 Hours, Total 12 Bridges Collapsed In 2 Weeks
