KENDRAPARA: A portion of an under-construction bridge over Gobari river at Mahipal in Kendrapara town collapsed on Wednesday.Though no injuries or fatalities were reported in the mishap, the incident has raised questions on the quality of construction works carried out by contractors engaged by the Rural Development (RD) department.
Fakir Khatua, a local, said some slabs of the under-construction bridge caved in. Luckily, there were no casualties. “The incident took place due to sub-standard work carried out by the contractor who is executing the bridge project. Stringent action should be taken against the contractor and officials concerned,” he said.
Sources said the foundation stone of the 60 metre bridge was laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on November 8, 2016 and construction work started the next year. The bridge was supposed to be completed within four years. However, the project is moving at a snail’s pace much to the inconvenience of residents of Mahipal, Gulanagar, Garapur and other nearby villages.
Hrusikesh Panda of Garapur village said the authorities have already missed the 2021 deadline. Now, the project will be further delayed as a portion of the bridge has caved in. “People of the region are suffering immensely due to lack of proper communication link. The delay will add to the misery of locals,” he rued.
Contacted, executive engineer of RD department Khirod Behera said after being informed about the incident, he along with other officials rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation. “We are not sure how the mishap occurred. There were no design or structural flaws and all construction parameters were met,” he claimed.
Behera further informed that the design of the structure was approved by the Roads and Buildings department. A thorough inquiry will be conducted into the incident. He admitted that the project will be delayed by a few more months due to the mishap.