BRIDGES IN BHOJPUR DISTRICT FACING ROUGH WEATHER DUE TO INDIFFERENT ATTITUDE OF THE OFFICIALS

Ara (RNI) Bridges in Bhojpur district may collapse anytime if proper attention is not paid to maintain them. The situation arises due to indifferent attitude of the Bhojpur district administration. The glaring examples of government apathy towards the bridges are newly built Koelwar six lane bridge over the river Sone, the Doriganj Bridge over the river Ganga and a bridge at Charpokhari.

Six lane Koelwar bridge built over the river Sone and connecting Bhojpur district to the Patna district is facing brunt of the administrative inadequacy. Thousands of different types of vehicle including sand laden trucks and tractors pass through this bridge with impunity one the one hand while on the other hand, hundreds of sand laden trucks and tractors are parked in two row on the bridge causing a damage to the bridge and it may cause a big accident to human beings or the bridge if proper attention is not paid to this menace on time.

The Abdul Bari bridge across the river Sone built by the English in the nineteen century is not too old and reportedly is declared unfit for the vehicles though lakhs of rupees were paid every year to maintain it. Besides, this bridge is the only link in between New Delhi to Patna via Ara in Bhojpur district and any damage to it may snap communication in between Ara and Patna. Thousands of people and government employees go to Patna from Buxar and Ara everyday on duty. Keeping it in view and rising population and heavy load of vehicles, a new six lane bridge was built parallel to the old one but it became a curse for the people of the area now. Trucks and tractors overloaded with sand stranded either flank of the bridge the whole day with the connivance of the police administration causing a lot of problems to the people and vehicle driver and also traffic jam lime situation particularly during marriage season. People blamed that the police personnel are more interested in realizing illegal amount from these overloaded trucks and tractors. Again, indiscriminate digging of sand near the pillars of the bridge is serious threat to the existence of the bridge and may damage it very soon if the Bhojpur district administration officials do not take action against illegal digging of sand though the district administration off and on has taken action against illegal digging but it is not sufficient and more stringent action is needed against the recalcitrant sand mafias. The indiscriminate digging of sand has already poses drinking water problem in the district as the water level has gone down and if proper action is not taken in this regard, the days are not far when residents of the district will have to go without drinking water.

According to Civil Engineering, many types of loads are calculated while designing construction including bridge. It is designed with the calculation of 12 types of loads including dead load, wind load, live load, impact load, longitudinal load, buoyancy effect, effect of water current, effect of atmosphere, seismic load, horizontal effect, erection stresses. It is sometimes applied to different types of bridges.

Likewise the Veer Kuer Singh Bridge over the river Ganga connecting Bhojpur near Babura to Saran district is now in dilapidated condition and several pit holes appear on it due to indifferent attitude of the district administration. Thousands of trucks and tractors overloaded with sands are parked on either flank of the bridge the day long right under the nose of the police administration. It also poses threat to the lives of people and other drivers of the small vehicles using this bridge and people have to spend three to four hours to cross the bridge though the distance in between Koelwar and Saran is only an hour. The locals said that the police personnel realize illegal amount from the drivers of the trucks and tractors. Despite several complaints to the senior officials of the district including the Bhojpur District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, tangle action is not being taken in this regard.

The condition of the bridge at Charpokhari is deteriorating due to the vehicles caught for various reasons being parked on the bridge and no action is being taken in this regard. In such a situation, fear psychosis of a major accident occurring anytime prevails among the residents of the area. Still the Bhojpur district administration is reluctant to pay any heed towards this. Trucks and other vehicles have been parked on the bridge built on Charpokhari to Ara-Sasaram four lane of Charpokhari block of Bhojpur district for the last two years and these illegally parked trucks and vehicles are not shifted from the bridge.

Before 2020, the width of the old bridge was very less and due to its dilapidated condition, a new bridge was constructed so that the traffic could become much easier and the bridge could not be blocked due to plying of different vehicles all day long by increasing the width of the bridge but it proved a mirage. The width of bridge got reduced due to parking of different vehicles on the bridge and on the other hand people are not getting any benefit even after spending lakhs of rupees to build a new bridge and increase the width of the bridge. Besides, an accident cannot be ruled out anytime by permanently parking of vehicles on Charpokari bridge and also due to overload can pose a danger to the bridge. What is the reason behind parking of vehicles on bridge built with lakhs of rupees for the convenience of the people is beyond imagination. It is also beyond comprehension as to why the Bhojplur district administration does not reserve any place to keep the impounded vehicles. This is a pertinent question as to why is such a situation created where the law enforcing agency has become a hindrance.

Everyday about 10,000 different types of vehicle pass through this important road bridge connecting Bhojpur to Rohtas districts round the clock.

The four lane bridge on Ara-Sasaram State Highway is built with the estimated cost of Rs. 384 lakh, although at present it has been made double lane in such a way that if the four lane road is built in future, the bridge will be made four lane.