The series of bridge collapses in Bihar shows no signs of stopping. On Saturday morning in Sultanpur, Bhagalpur district, the No. 9 pillar and slab of the under-construction Agwani bridge collapsed into the Ganges River. Reports indicate that this bridge has been under construction for the past 11 years and has collapsed three times so far. The estimated construction cost of the bridge is said to be ₹17,000 crores.
Due to flooding and strong currents in the Ganges, a part of the structure above pillar No. 9 suddenly collapsed into the water. Some locals captured the incident on camera as the bridge was falling. The video of the incident is being shared on social media. When the structure fell into the water, people gathered at the site and remarked that the bridge had collapsed once again.
The bridge had previously collapsed in Sultanpur. On the night of April 30, 2022, pillar No. 5 fell due to strong winds. On June 4, 2023, pillars No. 10, 11, and 12 of the under-construction bridge from Sultanpur to Agwani Ganga Ghat in Khagaria suddenly collapsed into the river. The bridge collapse incident sparked political uproar in Bihar, with leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties questioning each other.
The continuous bridge collapses in Bihar are becoming a matter of concern. This time, after more than a dozen bridges collapsed during the monsoon season, the issue has now reached the Supreme Court. A bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, while hearing a public interest litigation related to the matter, has issued notices to the Bihar government, NHAI, and others involved.
