Page 33 - Bihar

Another bridge collapses in Bihar, 13th such mishap in three weeks

Bihar witnessed another bridge collapse on Wednesday, making it the 13th such incident in the state in a span of three weeks, an official said. The bridge collapsed at Mahishi village in Saharsa district earlier in the day, he said. It might be a small bridge or causeway. District officials have left for the spot. We are trying to gather more information about the incident, Additional Collector (Saharsa), Jyoti Kumar, said. There were no reports of any injury or fatality. The Bihar government has suspended at least 15 engineers in connection with the series of recent incidents of bridge collapse reported from various districts, including Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had last week instructed officials to conduct a survey of all old bridges in the state and identify those that require immediate repair.

Many rivers touch danger levels in few districts of Bihar after heavy rain

With heavy rain lashing various parts of Bihar in the last 24 hours, major rivers, including Kosi, Mahananda, Bagmati, Gandak, Kamla Balan and Kamla, were flowing above the danger level at many places, a bulletin issued by the Water Resources Department said on Sunday. The rivers were flowing above the danger mark at several places, while in some places they touched the warning levels, it said. The water level of Bagmati River has touched the danger mark at Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Sheohar, Aurai and Suppi and other adjoining areas. "The water level of Bagmati River, as recorded at 8 am on Sunday, in Sitamarhi and Suppi was 71.16 metres, which is 0.16 metre above the danger level. Likewise, Bagmati crossed the danger mark in Muzaffarpur, Sheohar, Aurai and Piprahi," the bulletin said. "In Gopalganj and Sidhwalia, Gandak River is flowing above the danger mark of 62.22 metre (till 8 am on Sunday). Similarly, Kamla Balan River touched the danger mark in Madhubani, Lakhnaur and ...

North Bihar town celebrates Kanishka Narayan's victory in UK elections

The UK parliamentary elections may have disappointed a lot of Indians over Rishi Sunak losing power, but a north Bihar town is celebrating the success of a son of the soil. Kanishka Narayan, an MP of the Labour Party which has returned to power after a decade and a half, has his roots in Muzaffarpur, situated about 70 km from the state capital. "The mood is upbeat in our housing complex, where many distinctly remember having seen Kanishka as a toddler," said Jayant Kumar, Director of the city-based Shri Krishna Law College. Kumar's younger brother Santosh is the father of the 33-year-old MP representing Vale of Glamorgan, who entered politics after giving up a career in the British civil services. "We hail from a village in Goraul block of adjoining Vaishali district. A passion for law runs in our blood. Our late father Krishna Kumar had founded the law college here," said the proud uncle. He recalled Kanishka was born in Muzaffarpur and studied at a local school till standard III

Water level of rivers in Bihar rising due to incessant rain, say officials

Water level of different rivers in Bihar have started rising at several places due to torrential rain in the last 24 hours, officials said on Saturday. Light to moderate rain was recorded in many districts, including Banka, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar, Gaya, Jehanabad, Kaimur, Katihar, Khagaria, Munger, Nalanda, Patna, Nawada, Purnea, Saran, Sheikhpura, Siwan and Vaishali since July 4, according to the latest rainfall bulletin issued by the Water Resources Department (WRD). In East and West Champaran districts people living in low-lying areas have been shifted to safer places by the district administrations, they said. "The incessant rain in certain districts in the state caused rivers and streams to overflow. The increased inflow also caused the water level in many dams to rise. Besides, incessant rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal has also led to rivers touching or flowing above danger level at several places", officials said. "Owing to moderate to heavy rain in certai

Bihar suspends 15 engineers over multiple bridge collapse incidents

The Bihar government on Friday suspended 15 engineers in connection with a series of recent incidents of bridge collapse in the state, a senior official said. The decision was taken after a probe panel submitted its report to the Water Resources Department (WRD). A total of 10 bridges collapsed in Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts in the past 17 days, officials said. The report found that the engineers were negligent and monitoring was ineffective, which is the main reason behind the collapse of small bridges and causeways in the state, Additional Chief Secretary of WRD, Chaitanya Prasad, told reporters here. Those suspended include four executive engineers. The Rural Works Department has also initiated the process of blacklisting the contractor who was involved in the construction of the bridge in Araria district. The department has also stopped payment of the contractor/firm for its previous work till the completion of the probe, said Dipak

Tejashwi criticizes govt on NEET, says 'arrest me if you have evidence'

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday criticised the Nitish Kumar government for attempting to blame him for the NEET paper leak scam, challenging the ruling NDA to "arrest" him if they had evidence. Yadav made these remarks at an event marking 28 years of the formation of his party, led by his father Lalu Prasad, in Bihar. He accused the government of promoting corruption and crime, stating, "This government claims to be a double engine. One engine drives corruption, and the other promotes crime." "Every issue in the state, whether it's a paper leak, bridge collapse, or murders, is being pinned on Tejashwi. If the government has any evidence against me, they should arrest me instead of making allegations," the 34-year-old leader asserted. Notably, leaders from Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and BJP alliance have emphasised that a key suspect in the paper leak case had close ties with a staff member of Yadav. In response, RJD has countered by releasing photographs showing other key suspects w

With four more bridge collapses in a day, Bihar tally touches 10 in 2 weeks

Four bridges collapsed within 24 hours in Bihar on July 3, marking the tenth such event in the state over the past 15 days. Here is why the bridges aren't able to stand tall in bad weather

PIL filed in Supreme Court over multiple bridge collapse incidents in Bihar

A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Bihar government to undertake a structural audit and set up an expert committee to identify bridges that can be either strengthened or demolished based on the findings. Ten incidents of bridge collapse have been reported in Bihar's Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts in over a fortnight. Many have claimed that heavy rainfall might have contributed to the incidents. The PIL, filed by advocate and petitioner Brajesh Singh, raised concerns about the safety and longevity of the bridges in the state that witnesses floods and heavy rains during monsoon. Besides setting up a high-level expert panel, it also sought real-time monitoring of the bridges as per the parameters of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. In the PIL, the petitioner said it was a matter of grave concern that Bihar is the most flood-prone state in India. The total flood-affected area in the state is ..

Bihar witnesses another bridge collapse, 10th incident in over 15 days

Another instance of bridge collapse came to the fore in Bihar on Thursday, making it the 10th such incident to have been reported from the state in just over a fortnight, an official said. The latest incident was reported from Saran which witnessed two more bridge collapses in the last 24 hours, District Magistrate Aman Samir said. No casualty was reported after the structure, built 15 years ago by local authorities, collapsed this morning, he said. The small bridge over the Gandaki river was situated in the Baneyapur block and used to connect several villages in Saran with the neighbouring Siwan district. The small bridge was constructed 15 years ago. I am going to the spot. Several other officials of the district administration have already reached there. The exact cause of the bridge collapse is yet to be ascertained but desilting work was recently undertaken," the district magistrate told PTI. On Wednesday, the Saran district witnessed the collapse of two small bridges - one i

Petition in SC seeks highest level audit of all existing Bihar bridges

The petitioner and advocate Brajesh Singh, on Wednesday, urged the top court to issue directions to the Bihar Government to conduct the audit

Three more bridges collapse in Bihar, 9th such incident in 15 days

Bihar witnessed the collapse of at least three more bridges or causeways on Wednesday, marking the ninth such incident in the rain-affected state within the past 15 days. No casualties were reported after the three structures, built 30 to 80 years ago by local authorities, caved in during the day in Saran and Siwan districts, officials said. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, however, alleged that four bridges collapsed in a single day and the chief minister and his deputies are silent. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed the Road Construction Department (RCD) and Rural Works Department (RWD) to immediately conduct a survey of all old bridges in the state and identify those that require immediate repairing. Certain portions of bridges/causeways that caved in Siwan and Saran on Wednesday are very old, Chaitanya Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary, WRD, said in a statement. These structures don't seem to have been constructed following required parameters. It also appears that the foundatio

Another bridge collapses in Bihar's Siwan, 7th such incident in 15 days

In a troubling trend for Bihar, a portion of a bridge over Gandaki river in Siwan district collapsed on Wednesday morning, marking the seventh such incident in the state within the past 15 days. The small bridge, situated in the district's Deoria block, connects several villages with Mahrajganj. No casualties have been reported so far. This is the second incident of bridge collapse in Siwan in the last 11 days. Deputy Development Commissioner Mukesh Kumar said the exact cause is under investigation. Senior officials from the block have already reached the site, he added. "A portion of a bridge in Deoria block collapsed this morning. The exact cause is not known so far. Senior officials of the block have reached the spot and I am also going there," he added. "The incident took place around 5 am. As per initial information, the bridge was constructed in 1982-83. Repair work was going on the bridge for the last few days," Kumar added. Villagers suggested that heavy rainfall over the

Bihar govt has formed committee to probe recent bridge collapses: Minister

The Bihar government has formed a high-level committee to investigate the recent bridge collapses across the state, including six incidents in the past 13 days. The latest collapse took place at Khausi Dangi village in Kishanganj on Sunday, involving a small bridge built over Boond river in 2009-10 with MPLAD funds. Most of the collapsed bridges, including those under construction, were either built or being constructed by the state's rural works department (RWD). RWD Minister Ashok Choudhary told PTI on Tuesday that the committee, headed by the chief engineer, will analyse the causes behind these collapses and recommend necessary corrective actions. "The department has constituted a high-level committee headed by chief engineer to probe recent incidents of bridge collapse that have been reported from different parts of the state. The committee will find out the reasons and also suggest remedial measures," he said. The committee, tasked specifically with incidents related to RWD-b

JD(U) names Sanjay Jha working prez, seeks spl status or package for Bihar

The Janata Dal (United) on Saturday appointed Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha as its working president and urged the Centre to consider either special category status or special package for Bihar, underlining the party's important role in the formation of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government. The party's national executive meeting chaired by its president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged price rise and unemployment as "burning issues", as its political resolution expressed confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government would take more effective steps to handle them. The resolution called for extensive probe into paper leak cases to ensure stringent action against the guilty so as to maintain the credibility of central competitive exams. There is also a need for Parliament to enact a strong law against leaks of examination papers, it added. Kumar's decision to appoint his confidant as the party's working president, a position not held by ..

NEET malpractices case: CBI gets custody of four accused held from Gujarat

A court on Saturday remanded four accused arrested in connection with alleged malpractices at NEET-UG held at a school near Godhra in Gujarat in CBI custody till July 2. Gujarat police had arrested five people last month in the case. Of them, the Central Bureau of Investigation sought the custody of school teacher Tushar Bhatt, principal of Jay Jalaram School Purushottam Sharma, and middlemen Vibhor Anand and Arif Vohra. The agency did not seek the remand of education consultant Parsuram Roy, a fifth accused. All the five accused are currently behind bars in Godhra sub-jail. Principal District Judge of Panchmahal, C K Chauhan, on Saturday granted the CBI's request for their remand, said government lawyer Rakesh Thakor. CBI lawyer Dhruv Malik told the court that though the police had conducted probe in the case, the agency needed their custody for fresh investigation. A preliminary probe by the CBI revealed that the accused had asked the candidates who were willing to use illegal

Nitish Kumar pushes for Bihar's special category status at key JDU meet

The demand for Bihar's special category status is crucial now as BJP relies on support from JD(U), which has 12 seats in the new Lok Sabha, to stay in power at the Centre

Fifth bridge collapses in just over a week in Bihar, no casualties reported

Another instance of bridge collapse has come to the fore in Bihar, making it the fifth such incident to have been reported from the state in just over a week. The latest incident has been reported from the Bheja police station area of Madhubani district, situated in the state's northern extreme, along the borders with Nepal. Officials were tight-lipped about the incident, though sources in the Rural Works Department, which was entrusted with the construction of the 75-metre-long bridge, confirmed that one of the pillars got washed away a few days ago. They said the bridge was being constructed at a cost of about Rs 3 crore over the Bhutahi river which has been in spate on account of torrential rains in catchment areas of Nepal. The sources claimed that the district administration has been asked to investigate the matter and submit its report while the contractor concerned has been instructed to get the structure repaired at the earliest. A video of the collapsed bridge, under ...

NEET-UG exam row: NSUI members barge into NTA office, demand its closure

Members of NSUI, Congress's students wing, barged inside the office of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is at the centre of NEET-UG row over allegations of alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exam. National Students Union of India (NSUI) members barged inside the testing agency's office here in Okhla, raising slogans of "shut down NTA". There was no immediate reaction from officials of the NTA about the incident. Visuals from the scene shared by NSUI showed scores of its members raising slogans inside the building of the NTA. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates taking part in it. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks in states such as Bihar, besides other irregularities.

Another bridge collapses in Bihar, this time in Kishanganj; no casualties

A bridge caved in at Kishanganj district on Thursday in the fourth incident of its kind in Bihar in just over a week, officials said. The bridge, situated in Bahadurganj block, was 70 meters long and 12 meters wide, District Magistrate Tushar Singla said. "The bridge was built in 2011 over Madiya, a small tributary that connects the Kankai river to the Mahananda. Heavy rainfall in the catchment area in Nepal has led to a sudden rise in the water level. One of the pillars of the bridge could not withstand the strong current," he said. No one was injured in the incident, he said. Barricading has been done at both ends of the bridge to prevent any type of movement while repair work was on, he added. Three incidents of bridge collapse were reported last week from Araria, Siwan and Araria districts. In the last few years, a number of similar incidents have taken place in various parts of the state, and though no fatalities have been caused, these have led to questions being raised on

Reliance Jio buys spectrum worth Rs 973.63 crore in Bihar, West Bengal

Reliance Jio expanded its radio waves holding for mobile services by acquiring additional frequencies worth Rs 973.63 crore in the latest spectrum auction that concluded on Wednesday. The company acquired 5 megahertz paired spectrum in 1,800 Mhz band in Bihar for Rs 420.25 crore and 9.4 Mhz in West Bengal for Rs 553.38 crore. "Jio acquired additional spectrum in the 1,800 MHz band in Bihar and West Bengal. With this acquisition, Jio has expanded its 1,800 MHz band spectrum in two circles. Jio's spectrum footprint has increased to 26,801 MHz (uplink + downlink), solidifying its leadership position," the company said in a statement. The government had offered a total of 10 GHz of spectrum ranging between 800 MHz to 26 GHz, which was worth Rs 96,238 crore at the base or auction start price. All the available spectrum in 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 2,500 MHz, 3,300 MHz, and 26 GHz bands were put to auction. This year auction has seen activity in 900 MHz, 1,800 MH