Repeated Bridge Collapse Deepens Crisis For Bihar Government

In a major setback for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s administration, a section of the Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge under construction collapsed into the Ganga River once again on Saturday. This latest failure, the third of its kind in recent years, has sparked intense scrutiny over the project’s construction quality and management.

The collapse occurred despite no reported injuries, but it has reignited concerns about the integrity of the bridge, which has been in development for nearly nine years. Eyewitnesses captured the incident on video, which quickly circulated on social media, further amplifying public alarm.

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The Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge, intended to enhance connectivity between Bhagalpur District and Khagaria District and reduce traffic congestion on the Vikramshila Bridge, was a flagship infrastructure project under Kumar’s leadership. The bridge is designed to improve travel between Bhagalpur and Jharkhand via Khagaria, but repeated structural failures have cast a shadow over its completion.

This latest collapse follows two previous incidents: the first occurred on June 30, 2022, when a section between pillars 5 and 6 on the Bhagalpur side fell into the river, and the second on June 4, 2023, affecting the stretch between pillars 10 and 12 on the Khagaria side. The Bihar government had previously penalized the construction company, SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd., and required it to rebuild the affected sections at its own expense.

Reason for Collapse

The most recent failure involved the superstructure composed of iron angles. Experts have suggested that misalignment may be a significant factor in these repeated collapses. The bridge’s construction began on March 9, 2015, following the laying of the foundation stone on February 23, 2014. With an budget of Rs 1,710 crore, the project was suppose to complete in a timely manner. However, it remains unfinished after nearly a decade.

While the Bihar government’s road construction department has completed a 16 km approach road from the Khagaria side and a 4 km approach road from the Bhagalpur side, the main bridge structure remains incomplete. The ongoing delays and structural failures underscore the urgent need for a thorough review and corrective action to ensure the bridge’s future safety and reliability.

As scrutiny intensifies, the Bihar government faces mounting pressure to address these issues and restore confidence in this critical infrastructure project.