Bihar Government Suspends 15 Engineers Following Series of Bridge Collapses

The Bihar government has suspended 15 engineers across the Water Resources and Rural Works Departments after 10 bridges collapsed within 15 days. The incidents, including a recent collapse in Saran district, have raised serious concerns about infrastructure safety and oversight in the state.

The Bihar government has taken decisive action following a series of alarming bridge collapses, suspending 11 engineers from the Water Resources Department in Siwan and four from the Rural Works Department. This move comes in the wake of 10 bridge collapses over the past 15 days, sparking concerns about the safety and maintenance of the state's infrastructure. The most recent incident occurred in Saran district on Thursday, marking the 10th collapse in just over a fortnight.

Disastrous collapses were reported last month in the districts of Araria, Siwan, East Champaran, Kishanganj, and Madhubani. Notably, on June 22, a 40-45-year-old bridge over the Gandak River in Siwan also fell. According to a state government press release, a probe by the departmental flying squad revealed a lack of precautionary measures and proper technical supervision by the engineers involved in the project.

Among the suspended engineers are Amit Anand, Executive Engineer, Flood Control Division; Kumar Brajesh, Executive Engineer, Water Discharge Division; and several others detailed in the investigation report. Additionally, new bridges will be constructed at the cost and risk of the responsible executive contractor. On June 18, 2024, a culvert was damaged in Araria, leading to further suspensions in the Rural Works Department, with an investigation team led by Nirmal Kumar, Chief Engineer, Purnia, looking into the dereliction of duty by the concerned engineers.

(With inputs from agencies.)