The Gopalganj Bangra Ghat bridge in Bihar that was to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday collapsed 12 hours ahead of the inauguration. The collapse occurred earlier in the day as flow from Saran Dam increased following the damage to the dam.
The approach road of Mahasetu breached within a radius of about 50 meters. Construction is being undertaken to revive the demolished approach road before the inauguration.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed chief minister Nitish Kumar over the collapse of the approach path to the newly inaugurated Bangra Ghat Mahasetu bridge in Gopalganj. The collapse occurred earlier in the day as flow from Saran Dam increased following the damage to the dam.
इसे त्रासदी कहे या विडंबना। 509 करोड़ के इसी जर्जर पथ सह पुल का आज मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार ने उद्घाटन किया है। करोड़ों बिहारवासियों को इतिहास के बासी पन्नों में उलझा उनका वर्तमान और भविष्य ख़राब कर चुके नैतिक, सामाजिक और आर्थिक भ्रष्टाचार के भीष्म पितामह इस पर कुछ नहीं बोलेंगे। pic.twitter.com/NBYs53p10A
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) August 12, 2020
On April 11, 2014, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of the Mahasetu project worth Rs 509 crore at Rajapatti. The commissioning of the bridge will facilitate the movement of about 8 lakh population in 6 districts. This will reduce the distance from Gopalganj, Siwan and Saran to Muzaffarpur to 55 km, Darbhanga distance of 65 km and Janakpur distance of 70 km.
Earlier this year in July, the bridge over Gandak River was washed away 29 days after the inauguration at Baikunthapur in Gopalganj last month. The approach road of Gandak Mahasetu, linking Bihar’s Gopalganj and Betia, was breached due to the high water pressure, causing floods in about a dozen villages and disrupting traffic along the Betia-Gopalganj road.
The breach point of about 30 metres on the Gopalganj side, which is about 500 metres from the main bridge, was caused by the release of 4.5 lakh cusecs of water from the Gandak Barrage at Valmiki Nagar. A guide bundh, which was constructed to disrupt the flow of the Gandak river, was also breached.
Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam deputy engineer Shakir Ali said, “The approach road was damaged because of the high water pressure. We have started repair work and are ensuring there is no further erosion.”
The bridge and approach road on either side were constructed by Hyderabad-based Vashistha Constructions Private Limited at a cost of Rs 548 crore. It was opened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on March 13, 2016. The bridge had shortened the distance between Motihari and Gopalganj by 85 km.
