Girder bearing falls, officials conduct high-level inquiry

Patna: A girder bearing of the Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur mega bridge under construction fell while it was being dismantled on Sunday night. However, no one was injured in the incident.
The incident elicited an urgent response from officials as it is part of the 5.7-km-long Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur mega bridge, whose overall cost is Rs 1.602.74 crore.
The Bihar State Road Development Corporation (BSRDC) conducted a high-level on-the-spot inquiry into the matter after the incident.
Senior BSRDC officials, including the managing director, chief general manager and general manager, visited the site in the north of Nandini Lagunia railway station.
“There was no casualty in the fall of the girder bearing of the bridge on the approach road of Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur,” BSRDC said in a statement. “The girder bearing had been erected on the two pillars seven years ago. It resulted in rusting of the bearings, which necessitated its replacement by a new one,” it said.
“It is not the incident of the fall of a bridge or span. Instead, it is a matter of dismantling the old girder bearing and its replacement by a new one. During the process of dismantling, the girder bearing fell,” it said, adding that instructions have been given to the construction company to complete the project in time.
The mega bridge connects NH-28 on the Tajpur (Samastipur) side and NH-31 on the Bakhtiyarpur side in the Patna district. CM Nitish Kumar had laid its foundation in 2011. The construction work was discontinued for a brief period.
On Monday, leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav took to his X handle and criticised CM Nitish Kumar. He also wondered if the construction of the mega bridge was plagued by “corruption”. He added that such incidents have been happening under the double-engine govt, and also drew the attention of PM Narendra Modi to it.
In response, RCD minister from BJP Vijay Kumar Sinha mocked Tejashwi. He said, ‘Chor machaye shor (those who are thieves are shouting more). The span did not collapse, but the girder bearing fell. The mega bridge will be constructed well within time.”