Outcry in Bhagalpur! Part of Vikramshila bridge submerged in Ganga, huge devastation in Bihar

Bhagalpur: On Sunday night, the Vikramshila Bridge of Bhagalpur, which is called the lifeline of Bihar, broke down. Pillar number 133 of this huge bridge built on the river Ganga suddenly collapsed like a house of cards and within no time a large part of the bridge got swallowed up in the waves of the Ganga. Whoever saw this horrifying scene, his soul trembled. It is fortunate that due to the promptness of the police, the traffic was stopped in time, otherwise hundreds of lives could have been lost.

Chaos at midnight: Bridge ceased to exist within minutes

The incident started around 11:50 pm on Sunday night, when cracks and gaps were noticed in the suspension of the bridge. As soon as the policemen on duty saw the pillar moving, they immediately informed the top officials. By 12:15 pm, movement from both sides of the bridge was completely stopped. Just 50 minutes later, i.e. at 1:07 pm, about 33 meters of the bridge fell into the Ganga river with a loud bang. After the incident, there was chaos in the entire area and people started running here and there in fear.

Administration’s promptness averted a major accident

If Bhagalpur police and traffic department had delayed by a few minutes, it could have been one of the biggest tragedies of Bihar. On the instructions of Range IG Vivek Kumar, SSP Pramod Kumar Yadav and Navgachia SP immediately took charge. Heavy vehicles were stopped outside the city. District Magistrate Dr. Naval Kishore Chaudhary and other senior officials reached the spot in the night itself and the entire bridge was sealed.

Engineers’ hands and feet swelled: Bihar cut off for 20 days

Engineers of the Bridge Construction Corporation say that the damage is very serious. The 33 meter slab has completely disappeared, which is a big challenge to restore. According to officials, repairing the bridge may take at least 15 to 20 days. Till then the direct connectivity between Bhagalpur and Navgachia will remain broken. At present the traffic has been diverted towards Munger bridge via Sultanganj.

Lifeline lost due to negligence

There is a lot of anger among the local people regarding this incident. It is being told that about a month ago, there were reports of damage to the protection wall of the pillar, but the department remained asleep. According to experts, the bridge was not repaired properly for the last 8 years. This 4.7 kilometer long bridge, inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Rabri Devi in ​​2001, has today become an example of corruption and neglect.

Increased trouble for passengers, use alternative routes

Kosi and Seemanchal’s connectivity with Bhagalpur has been cut off due to the breaking of the bridge. More than one lakh people used to use this route every day, who are now forced to go via Munger. SSP Pramod Kumar Yadav has appealed to the public not to come towards Vikramshila Setu at present and choose the alternative route via Munger Bridge.