Patna, Oct 3
A culvert in Bihar's Bhagalpur district collapsed on Thursday due to heavy rainfall and the rising water pressure of the Ganga River.
The culvert, located in Mustafapur Chaukhandi village within the Pirpainti block, was swept away by the strong currents of the river.
Following the incident, officials from the Water Resource Department, disaster management teams, and local police promptly arrived at the scene to assess the situation.
Nagendra Nath Gupta, the District Public Relation Officer (DPRO) of Bhagalpur, said that the Mustafapur Chaukhandi culvert, located on the Pirpainti-Bakharpur main road, was washed due to heavy rains.
“This marks the second incident in the past six days in the Pirpainti block,” he said.
Gupta added that the bridge sank due to the strong current of the Ganga. “The culvert had been in poor condition, and transportation on it had already been banned by the district administration prior to the incident as a precautionary measure,” he said.
He added that the collapse is a serious concern for local residents and has further complicated transportation and relief efforts in the flood-affected region.
The flood situation in Bihar has reached an unprecedented level with floodwaters persisting longer than usual in districts like Bhagalpur.
“The flood here is unprecedented this year, staying for the longest period of time in the district. This has caused problems for the people and put pressure on embankments and culverts,” Gupta explained.
In the case of the Mustafapur Chaukhandi culvert, water had flowed over it, leading to its deterioration and eventual collapse.
The collapse of the culvert has caused chaos, cutting off several villages, including Bakharpur, Babupur, and Mohanpur Govindpur, from the Pirpainti block headquarters.
The Chaukhandi culvert, which connected the Pirpainti market to Jharkhand through Bakharpur and Babupur, was built by the Public Works Department (PWD) just three years ago.
The flood situation continues to worsen across Bihar, with the Ganga River flowing above the danger mark at multiple locations.
In Kahalgaon, Bhagalpur, the water level of the Ganga is currently 61 cm above the danger mark. The river is also flowing dangerously high at Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah in Patna district, adding to the strain on the state's flood response and infrastructure.