Bihar: Engineering Flaw or Accident? Slab Collapse at Ganga Mahasetu Site Triggers Probe
Samastipur: A major incident occurred at the construction site of the North Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur 6-lane Ganga Mahasetu on Sunday night when a slab being installed between two pillars suddenly fell. The collapse took place near the Nandini Laguniyan railway station in Patori, where the construction work is underway. The slab fell from a height of around 50 feet, causing chaos at the site.
Following the incident, company officials and workers from Navayuga Engineering Company Limited, responsible for the bridge’s construction, rushed to clear the debris under the cover of darkness. Using JCB machines, they began burying the remains of the collapsed slab. However, onlookers recorded the incident, leading to widespread public concern and raising questions about the safety standards and quality of the bridge construction.
The manager of Navayuga Engineering Company Limited downplayed the situation, stating that there was an issue with the slab and that it had been intentionally demolished. He insisted that the slab did not fall on its own.
The collapsed section was part of the approach road being built over the railway line near the Nandini Laguniyan railway station, between Shahpur Patori and Mohiuddinnagar. While the pillars had been installed a few months ago, the span connecting two pillars in the northern section of the railway line fell, sparking further concerns about the overall structural integrity of the bridge.
The North Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur Ganga Mahasetu was envisioned as a dream project of Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He laid its foundation stone in 2011, and the bridge is intended to span 5.575 km across the Ganga River, with a 45 km long approach road. The total project cost is estimated at Rs 1,603 crore.
Despite being slated for completion in 2016, only about 60% of the bridge has been constructed so far, with over Rs 1,000 crore already spent. The project remains incomplete even in 2024. The state government is contributing Rs 307.50 crore, while the central government is investing Rs 277.50 crore towards the bridge’s construction.
