Sambalpur: Under-Construction Bridge Caves In, Locals Demand Probe

Sambalpur: An under-construction bridge over a canal at Andhari village in Jujumara block in the district caved in on Tuesday, raising question marks over the quality of the work. However, there are no reports of any injury or casualty.

The incident triggered resentment among locals and they demanded the immediate reconstruction of the structure and a probe into the construction quality.

According to reports, the centring portion of the bridge over the canal caved in while the roof construction was going on.

Local residents alleged that the bridge collapsed due to sub-standard construction work.

“We were so happy that the bridge was nearing its completion. People from nearby villages in the area would have been benefited following the completion of the bridge. However, it caved in due to poor quality of centring work,” alleged Naveen Kumar Biswal, a local resident.

“The government should inspect the quality of the construction work of the bridge. They should take action against erring officials and ensure timely completion of the bridge,” said Sanjeev Biswal, another local resident.

However, the site manager feigned ignorance about the cause behind the caving in besides refuting charges of poor quality of work.

“We have constructed so many bridges in the past, but this kind of problem has never occurred. We are trying to find out the reason behind the caving in of the centring work. Things will be sorted out soon,” he said.