• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday claimed another bridge in Bihar has caved in, though an official said it was a makeshift structure that got washed away in heavy rainfall. The leader of the opposition in the state assembly, shared on his X handle, formally Twitter, a video of the incident that has taken place in East Champaran district.

In the clip, people can be heard blaming the use of spurious material for the incident in a village falling under the Madhuban block.

District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal said he was aware of the incident but asserted that it was "not a bridge, not even a causeway".

READ MORE: Mahua Moitra Booked Under New Criminal Law Over 'Derogatory' Comment Against NCW Chief

"A sewage line passes through Lohargawan village. Some parts of it were uncovered. As per the information we have, a decision was taken at the Panchayat level a few years back to erect a structure across the drain to help people cross it without difficulty", the DM told PTI over the phone.

Accordingly, the drain was covered with the makeshift structure, not more than a few feet long, he said.

"As is the case with such unregulated works, mud was used and hence it got washed away when heavy rains battered the area. Nonetheless, we are looking into the matter and will do, at our level, whatever is needed," added the district magistrate.

READ MORE: What Is 'Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier', A Stop In PM Modi's Upcoming Russia Itinerary

The Bihar government on Friday suspended 14 engineers in connection with the frequent incidents of bridge collapses witnessed across the state recently, news agency PTI reported. The engineers were reportedly placed on suspension after a probe panel submitted its report to the Water Resources Department (WRD).

As many as 10 bridges have collapsed across Bihar in the past 17 days. The last of such incidents was reported from Saran. The 10 bridges across Bihar that collapsed recently were in Saran, Araria, Siwan, Madhubani, East Champaran, and Kishanganj districts.

These include the four small bridges that collapsed in Saran and Siwan on Wednesday. The first in the series of the statewide bridge collapses was the instance in Araria on June 18. On Friday, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi defended Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying that the unusually heavy monsoon rains were the primary cause for the structural collapses.

(With PTI Inputs)