Jagran Correspondent, Nahan: Amid intense monsoon rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, an old bridge over the Bata River in the Paonta Sahib subdivision of Sirmaur district collapsed on Monday. The heavy rains have triggered widespread disruptions across the region, including landslides, power outages, water supply issues, road blockages, school closures, and disturbances to daily life.

The collapsed bridge was part of the four-lane Kala Amb-Paonta Sahib National Highway. Due to heavy rainfall in the upper areas of the district, a pillar of the old Bata Bridge gave way under the force of the strong water current. Soon after, a large section of the bridge structure broke apart and fell into the river.

Fortunately, no vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse, preventing any casualties.

Damaged Pillar Had Raised Concerns Earlier

The bridge pillar had reportedly been damaged for the past few days and had developed a noticeable tilt, indicating the possibility of a collapse. In view of the deteriorating condition, traffic movement on the bridge had already been restricted.

On Monday morning, as heavy rainfall intensified, authorities completely halted traffic on the bridge and diverted vehicles to the newly constructed bridge. Reports indicate that the old Bata Bridge was built in the 1960s.

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NHAI Officials Inspect Site

Officials from the National Highway Division in Nahan inspected the damaged bridge on Monday evening. A detailed assessment will be carried out after officials from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) from Shimla and Delhi visit the site.

Reports suggest that the NHAI had already submitted a proposal to construct a new bridge at the location of the old structure. The timeline for approval of the proposal is expected to become clear in the coming days.

NHAI Dhaula Kuan Assistant Engineer S.S. Pundir said that a proposal for the construction of a new bridge over the Bata River had already been submitted to the Ministry.

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Administration Reviews Safety Measures

Paonta Sahib SDM Dwija Goyal visited the incident site along with officials from various departments and DSP Manvendra Thakur. She reviewed the safety arrangements and preparations for any emergency response.

The SDM appealed to residents and visitors to use the new bridge for movement and avoid going near the damaged structure. She assured that proper arrangements had been made on the new bridge to handle traffic from both directions and that the collapse of the old bridge would not disrupt normal vehicular movement.