Bihar Pul Nirman Nigam Clarifies Fresh Collapse of Agwani Bridge in Bhagalpur

Patna: The Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) has issued a clarification following the collapse of a section of the Agwani bridge over the Ganges in Bhagalpur on Saturday morning. The BRPNNL stated that construction on the bridge had already been halted after earlier damages, dismissing allegations of corruption leveled by the opposition.

According to the BRPNNL, the recent collapse was caused by a rise in water levels and strong river currents, which dislodged a portion of the damaged bridge that was slated for removal. This follows previous incidents where parts of the bridge fell on April 30, 2022 and June 4, 2023. After these incidents, an investigation by IIT Roorkee revealed that the bridge’s design was flawed, leading to the suspension of all construction activities.

The opposition, led by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, has seized on the latest incident to criticize the Nitish Kumar government, accusing it of negligence and corruption. Meanwhile, the Patna High Court has ordered the contractor to repair the damaged sections at their own expense, and work is now underway on a new design for the bridge.