RANCHI: After a series of incidents of bridge collapse in Bihar, girder of an under-construction bridge, being constructed with a budget of Rs 5.5 crore, collapsed due to heavy rain in Jharkhand. The bridge was being built over the Arga River in Kariphari village, along the Fatehpur-Bhelwaghati road in Giridh, about 235 km from state capital Ranchi.According to officials, a girder of an under-construction bridge collapsed and a pillar got tilted due to heavy rains on Saturday night. No loss of life has been reported so far, they said.The bridge is being built on the Arga River between Dumritola and Kariphari on Fatehpur Bhelwaghati Main Road which will connects more than two dozen villages of Jharkhand and Bihar. The foundation stone for the bridge was laid on August 23, 2019 and total length of the bridge is 200 meters.According to locals, heavy rains hit the district on Saturday evening, causing the Arga River’s water level to rise, further leading to the girder of the under-construction bridge collapse and being swept away by the strong current.Additionally, one of the bridge’s pillars got tilted.“During heavy rains, the foundation of the bridge got bent at around 8 o’clock in the night. Meanwhile, the girder of the under-construction bridge broke and fell into the river with a loud noise,” said a villager requesting anonymity. The sound was so loud that the people living in the nearby houses got scared, he added.Notably, the bridge is being built by the state Road Construction Department and contract for the same was given to to a company named Om Namah Shivay Construction.The construction work of the bridge was to be completed in three years. The work was being for a year. Following the girder collapse, questions have arisen regarding the construction quality of the bridge.Executive Engineer Vinay Kumar, however, said that the bridge sustained minor damages due to the heavy rains and that further conclusions could be drawn only after an investigation.
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