Araria: Infamous for multiple incidents of bridge collapse, Bihar has again hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. A bridge built in the middle of an open field with no road on either side has left the people of a village in Araria district of the state perplexed.
According to reports, 35-foot bridge has been built on a farmland in Parmanandpur village in Raniganj at a cost of Rs 3 crore. Several videos and pictures of the under-construction bridge has gone viral on social media, drawing attention of the district administration that sought a report from the Rural Works department.
The construction work had started on 3-km road under the Chief Minister Gramin Sadak scheme but the process of land acquisition from local farmers had not been completed, according to officials. The bridge was built at a spot where land had already been acquired, but the road was not yet built as the acquisition of land for that had not yet been completed.
Congratulations #Bihar for adding another tourist attraction – Bridge in middle of the agricultural field !
People are flocking to see it.
— Kumar Manish (@kumarmanish9) August 7, 2024
The Rural Works department reportedly constructed the bridge first at piece of acquired land instead of acquiring land and starting road construction first. The bridge was meant to allow the passage of water from one side of the field to the other even after a road is built there.
Araria District Magistrate Inayat Khan has sought a detailed project report from the Rural Works department’s engineers. “We are awaiting a detailed report but it seems the work was started from mid-point. In any case, we will get to know the status of the project soon,” the DM said.
The Bihar government is already facing heat over several incidents of bridge collapse. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had last month instructed officials to conduct a survey of all old bridges in the state and identify those that require immediate repair.