Patna: We have witnessed heavy rains before, we have seen countless bridges coming down in India over the years.
But what is it about Bihar that bridges are falling like nine pins in recent days?
On Wednesday, two bridges in Saran district disintegrated, taking the ‘tally’ in Bihar up to 9 in the past fortnight.
The only saving grace in all these incidents is that no one has been injured in the mishaps.
Both bridges to come down on Wednesday were the Gandaki river. One of those was constructed in 2004 near a British-era bridge.
According to locals, after completion of riverbank cleaning, water was released into the river when the bridge gave way.
Several people present in the area recorded the incident on their mobile phones and shared it on social media.
The second bridge, a very old one, was reportedly from the British era. It couldn’t withstand the monsoon’s fury.
A large hole was formed near the pillar of the bridge due to the strong water flow, eroding its foundation and causing the upper part to fall into the river.
Communication between several villages have been affected, including access to essential services like schools and hospitals.
A two-member team, led by the Sub-Divisional Officer and an engineer from the state’s Flood Department, has been formed to investigate the mishaps.
The previous incidents in the last 15 days took place in Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts recently.