
Strict action to be taken against those found guilty in bridge collapse: Nitish
The Hindu
A day after the collapse of an under-construction bridge over the Ganga river in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on June 5 said strict action would be taken against those found guilty in the incident.
A day after the collapse of an under-construction bridge over the Ganga river in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on June 5 said strict action would be taken against those found guilty in the incident.
He also said the bridge that collapsed on June 4 had also caved in last year.
"The bridge is not being constructed properly and that is why it collapsed twice since April 2022. It's a serious matter…The department concerned has already initiated a thorough probe into it. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty," Mr. Kumar said, while talking to reporters here.
He also wondered why the bridge construction work that started in 2014 has not been completed so far.
"Why is it running behind the schedule? I have asked the department concerned to probe this also. The Deputy CM is also monitoring the developments," Mr. Kumar said.
The 3.16-km bridge being built since 2014 collapsed twice in 14 months — first on the Bhagalpur’s Sultanganj side in April 2022 and the second time on Sunday evening on the Khagaria side.
The incident attracted public outrage, prompting the Chief Minister to order an investigation with instructions to punish those guilty for the disaster.

As one progresses towards the extremeties of Old Mahabalipuram Road, expanses that tie urbania and peri-urbania in a neat package heave into sight. Barely would one have locked the gates of urbania and turned around to set foot in peri-urbania than a green bee eater would flit by, displaying its skill to hunt on the wing. There are skulkers among birds, and birdwatchers need to be on their reluctant tail to have a clear view of them. It drains time and energy. In contrast, the green bee eater would seem to be on the birdwatcher’s tail. Ranging over peri-urban patches, green bee eaters are at ease being watched. The young among the skulkers might be a tad bold till they are young no more. The young among the green bee eaters are spunkier, staying a tad closer to human eyes than their seniors. At Sholinganallur, in a space that has a touch of the peri-urban, a gaggle of juvenile bee eaters has been congregating, and they seem quite venturesome, hunting for bees on the wing, close to human presence. These birds have a chin with a distinctly yellowish-green tint that are a dead giveaway that they have considerably more days ahead of them than behind them. Juvenile green bee eaters at Sholinganallur on July 3, 2025.