CURATED BY – CHANDAN KUMAR CHAUBEY | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Patna, After the continuous incidents of bridge collapse in Bihar, the Water Resources Department had conducted an investigation of bridges and culverts. In the investigation, about 700 bridges and culverts were found abandoned. It is not known which department has constructed them. Nitish government had made this arrangement in the year 2014 itself that before the construction of bridges and culverts, NOC has to be taken from the Water Resources Department, but it has not been followed. The Road Construction Department has also conducted an audit of all the bridges. The Bridge Construction Corporation has audited 1700 bridges. There is news of bridges and culverts being dilapidated on a large scale. This decision has been taken in a meeting chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources Department. The Water Resources Department has asked all its regional officers to send a report to investigate all the bridges and culverts built in the last 10 years in Bihar. All the structures constructed along with bridges will be inspected. The responsibility for this has been given to all the regional chief engineers, superintending engineers and the chief engineer of central transformation research and quality control. Engineers have been instructed to submit a report of compliance of the conditions contained in the NOC from the regional level to the headquarters. Earlier, it was decided to investigate for 5 years, but the review of the water resources department revealed that the possibility of irregularities could have been there even before this. In such a situation, it will be investigated to what extent the conditions of the no objection certificate given to the departments or districts where bridges have been constructed have been complied with. Whether the set criteria have been followed or not and at what level the conditions have been violated and what has been the impact on the bridges and culverts due to it.