Bihar bridge is falling down, state says go slow- IBNLIVE.COM

A train travelling over a railway bridge in Bihar's Buxar district is an everyday sight but a closer look reveals that the tracks on the bridge are on the verge of collapsing. And this has been the state of the Karamnasha Railway Bridge for the last two years.

Every passing train displaces a few more bricks, but appalling as it may sound – repair work is yet to begin.

“The state of the bridge is very poor. It could collapse any minute and cause a serious accident. I have seen bricks falling off the tracks,” a passenger Shukdev Ram said.

The bridge, which is over 50 years old, has been declared fragile by the Railway authorities and a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour has been imposed, but the rule is hardly ever followed.

In fact, every time a train travels over it Railway gangmen rush to tighten the loose nuts and bolts.

For the last two years the Railways have been trying to float a tender for the restoration of the bridge but it seems to have run into problems.

Railway engineer DD Upadhyay said, “There is a problem but the authorities are trying to work it out. As soon as it is sorted the repair work will start.”

However, what the authorities seem to miss is that leaving a bridge in such a state is nothing less than waiting for an accident to happen.