CM orders probe into Vikramshila Setu span collapse

Patna/Bhagalpur: Following the collapse of a portion of the 4.7-km Vikramshila Setu late on Sunday night, across the Ganga river in Bhagalpur district, CM Samrat Choudhary on Monday chaired a review meeting and ordered a probe into the incident. He said it might take three months to repair the collapsed span, assuring that alternative arrangements are being made for locals.Connectivity between Seemanchal and Bhagalpur has been snapped because of the collapse of the bridge’s 30-metre span.Following the incident, the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) suspended an executive engineer for negligence in bridge maintenance.During the meeting, road construction department secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal briefed the CM about the current status of the bridge. The CM, while praising the Bhagalpur district administration, said: “Due to the alertness of district administration, police and traffic personnel, there was no loss of life or property.”A team led by the engineer-in-chief (Works Management), along with the MD of BRPNNL and experts from IIT-Patna and NIT-Patna, was sent to Bhagalpur on Monday to conduct a probe into the collapse. The team after the visit will submit a report.Earlier, the CM talked to defence minister Rajnath Singh seeking cooperation of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the Army in restoring the damaged portion of the bridge.“The executive engineer, BRPNNL, has been suspended for negligence in maintenance. SDRF teams have reached the spot to streamline arrangements. The state govt will soon start a free steamer service on the Ganga river for commuters and for crossing two-wheelers to minimise public inconvenience. Engineers have been directed to act on the experts’ report to restore traffic on the damaged section quickly,” the CM said.The CM said vehicles from north Bihar can reach Bhagalpur via Shri Krishna Setu in Munger and NH-33 (old NH-80). He ordered that traffic on the Munger-Bhagalpur route be managed properly and four-laning work on the stretch be completed on time.“Ensure alternative traffic arrangements for people immediately. Get a technical report from experts and ensure restoration of the damaged part for traffic resumption,” the CM told officials.The CM directed that all major bridges in the state be audited under the SOP (standard operating procedure) prepared for bridge maintenance. “Keep all bridges maintained. No negligence in upkeep will be tolerated. Take swift action against those found guilty of dereliction of duty,” he said.He also ordered expediting construction of the new four-lane bridge being built parallel to Vikramshila Setu. He added that traffic on the bridge is expected to start by Dec this year.Bhagalpur DM Nawal Kishor Choudhary joined via video conference and updated the CM on the ground situation.The CM praised the district and police administration for swift action that prevented casualties.Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, officials of the Bhagalpur district administration, including DM and SSP Pramod Kumar Yadav, along with SDRF personnel and divers, inspected the disaster site to ensure no one had fallen into the river. However, after the search, officials said neither any person nor any vehicle was found in the river.