PATNA: A bridge constructed on farmland with no road connectivity, sounds bizarre but true. The bridge on farmland has been constructed by road construction department of Bihar government in Araria district. District magistrate Inayat Khan on Tuesday ordered a probe into the construction of the bridge on farmland after the matter came to her notice. On being contacted DM Khan said, “I have constituted a team of technical experts, which will visit the site to study the feasibility of the bridge. Further action will depend on the report of the experts’ team, who is supported to submit its report within a week.” DM Khan was also stunned to know about the construction of the bridge on farmland and that too with no road connectivity. Locals informed the district authorities that the bridge was constructed by road construction department about six months ago. “How this happened is subject to investigation,” said a senior administrative officer, who is part of the probe team. The DM swung into action after some residents of Parmanandpur village under Raniganj block complained that they had to face problems due to construction of bridge.The residents alleged that they had to cover a distance of more than two kilometres to reach their farmland as a new bridge has been built with no road connectivity. “Now we demand from the department concerned to build an approach road and link the bridge with a main road,” said Dipak Kumar, a resident of Parmanandpur village.Sources in the road construction department said that the bridge was to be constructed along with 3.2 km long road. However, an assistant engineer of road construction department posted in Araria district Manoj Kumar said that it was not a bridge but a ‘box culvert’. The ‘box culvert’ is built to be used for briding purposes and maintaining waterways. The structure was built under Mukhya Manti Gramin Sadark Yojna. The ‘box culvert’ is built on a proposed 3.2 km long metal road between Parmanandpur Lakshmisthan and Kopari border, he added. The assistant engineer, however, claimed that the ‘box culvert’ would benefit over 1,500 people living in two neighbouring villages once it gets connected with the road.The cost of the bridge and the road is estimated to be about 3 crore. He admitted that about 200 metres of the road is on private land. “Because of this private land, the road connectivity of the bridge is incomplete. The department has started the process of reaching an amicable solution of the problem,” he told this reporter over the phone. Manoj also claimed that the ‘box culvert’ has been built as per the norms of the department and denied the charges of corruption.The matter surface at a time when the state witnessed collapse of more than 13 bridges within a span of two months, raising questions over the use of sub-standard material in the construction of the structures. In Araria district alone, a 183-metre-long bridge, built at a cost of Rs.12 crore, had collapsed on June 18 and a probe is still in progress. Similar incidents were reported from East Champaran, Saran, Siwan, Kishanganj and Gopalganj districts.
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