Following the collapse of a portion of the 4.7-km Vikramshila Setu across the Ganga river in Bhagalpur district late on Sunday night, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday chaired a review meeting and ordered a probe into the incident. He stated that repairs might take three months, and alternative arrangements are being made for locals.
Connectivity between Seemanchal and Bhagalpur has been disrupted due to the collapse of a 30-metre span. In response, the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) suspended an executive engineer for negligence in bridge maintenance.
During the meeting, road construction department secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal briefed the CM on the bridge's current status. The CM praised the Bhagalpur district administration, saying, 'Due to the alertness of district administration, police and traffic personnel, there was no loss of life or property.'
A team led by the engineer-in-chief (Works Management), along with the MD of BRPNNL and experts from IIT-Patna and NIT-Patna, was sent to Bhagalpur on Monday to investigate the collapse. The team will submit a report after the visit. Earlier, the CM spoke with defence minister Rajnath Singh, seeking cooperation from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the Army in restoring the damaged portion.
'The executive engineer, BRPNNL, has been suspended for negligence in maintenance. SDRF teams have reached the spot to streamline arrangements. The state government will soon start a free steamer service on the Ganga river for commuters and for crossing two-wheelers to minimise public inconvenience,' the CM said. Engineers have been directed to act on the experts' report to restore traffic on the damaged section quickly.
The CM noted that vehicles from north Bihar can reach Bhagalpur via Shri Krishna Setu in Munger and NH-33 (old NH-80). He ordered proper traffic management on the Munger-Bhagalpur route and timely completion of four-laning work on that stretch. 'Ensure alternative traffic arrangements for people immediately. Get a technical report from experts and ensure restoration of the damaged part for traffic resumption,' the CM told officials.
The CM directed that all major bridges in the state be audited under the standard operating procedure (SOP) for bridge maintenance. 'Keep all bridges maintained. No negligence in upkeep will be tolerated. Take swift action against those found guilty of dereliction of duty,' he said.
He also ordered expediting construction of the new four-lane bridge being built parallel to Vikramshila Setu, with traffic expected to start by December this year. Bhagalpur District Magistrate Nawal Kishor Choudhary joined via video conference and updated the CM on the ground situation. The CM praised the district and police administration for swift action that prevented casualties.
Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, officials of the Bhagalpur district administration, including the DM and Superintendent of Police Pramod Kumar Yadav, along with SDRF personnel and divers, inspected the disaster site to ensure no one had fallen into the river. After the search, officials confirmed that neither any person nor any vehicle was found in the river.
