Bihar Bridge Collapse: Tejashwi Yadav Raises Questions; Bihar Govt Refutes Claims Of Damage To Sattarghat Bridge

According to reports, a portion of the Sattarghat Bridge on Gandak River in Bihar’s Gopalganj collapsed on Wednesday, a month after it was inaugurated by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

A portion of the damaged bridge.

New Delhi: Amid the heated politics in Bihar right before the elections, a bizarre incident has ignited the fire after a portion of the Sattarghat Bridge on Gandak River in Bihar’s Gopalganj collapsed on Wednesday, a month after it was inaugurated by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Due to the ongoing monsoon parts of Bihar have been submerged underwater and the rising water level has left many villagers homeless. The crisis in Bihar increased after parts of the Sattarghat bridge collapsed only 29 days after it was inaugurated by the CM. As the water level rose in the river due to heavy rainfall, a portion of the bridge reportedly collapsed and was washed away. The floodwater is creating havoc in the city and this has emerged as a political row since the bridge was completed after 8 long years. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav launching an attack on the Nitish Kumar government asking him to blacklist the company which was involved in the manufacturing of this bridge in Gopalganj.

263 करोड़ से 8 साल में बना लेकिन मात्र 29 दिन में ढ़ह गया पुल। संगठित भ्रष्टाचार के भीष्म पितामह नीतीश जी इस पर एक शब्द भी नहीं बोलेंगे और ना ही साइकिल से रेंज रोवर की सवारी कराने वाले भ्रष्टाचारी सहपाठी पथ निर्माण मंत्री को बर्खास्त करेंगे। बिहार में चारों तरफ लूट ही लूट मची है। pic.twitter.com/EIcQYPEHn8

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 16, 2020

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has said, “After 8 years of work, the Sattarghat Bridge has finally opened 29 days ago. The bridge cost Rs 264 crore. Did the chief minister open the bridge in a hurry to get accolades? We want the company that built this bridge to be blacklisted immediately.”

Bihar Government refutes claims reports of Sattarghat bridge being washed away in floods

The state road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav said “only an approach road of a minor bridge was damaged”.

नेता प्रतिपक्ष #सत्तर_घाट_पुल के क्षतिग्रस्त होने की झूठी खबर फैला रहे हैं।

इस मामले में सही तथ्य निम्नवत है। सत्तर घाट मुख्य पुल से लगभग दो किमी दूर गोपालगंज की ओर एक 18 मी लम्बाई के छोटे पुल का पहुँच पथ कट गया है। यह छोटा पुल गंडक नदी के बांध के अन्दर अवस्थित है। @ANI pic.twitter.com/GwUe5RS6iK — Nand Kishore Yadav (@nkishoreyadav) July 16, 2020

“The Sattarghat bridge has not been damaged, as nearly two km away from it, an approach road of an 18-m-long minor bridge was cut due to surging swollen waters in river Gandak…this has happened because of unprecedented pressure of water in the river…however, the structure of the minor bridge has not been affected. The main Sattarghat bridge is totally intact”, said the government’s release, while adding, “There is no issue of any misappropriation in this project…this is a natural disaster”. State Road Construction Department Minister Nand Kishore Yadav said, “The RJD leaders do not have any moral right to say anything on the issue of corruption…the bridge is intact and only an approach road of a minor bridge in the area was damaged, which too will be repaired as soon as the water recedes” The foundation stone for the ₹263.47-crore bridge was laid by Mr. Kumar on April 5, 2012. The bridge connects the Gopalganj district with Saran and East Champaran districts, reducing the distance between Motihari and Chhapra by 45 km.