Culvert Collapses Within Three Months in Garhbanaili, Purnia: Rain Washes Away Culvert on Madarghat-Mahantbari Road in Ward 20 of Kasba Municipal Council Area; Serious Questions Raised on Construction Quality; Massive Outrage Among Locals
A very shocking incident exposing administrative negligence and corruption has come to light from the Kasba Municipal Council area in Bihar's Purnia district. Within barely three months of its construction, the newly built culvert on the road leading from Madarghat to Mahantbari, located in Ward Number 20 of the Kasba Municipal Council area under the Garhbanaili region, could not withstand the onslaught of the first rains and collapsed, getting damaged. Following this incident, massive outrage is prevalent among local villagers and commuters. The collapse of the culvert in such a short span has raised major questions regarding the misappropriation of public funds and the substandard materials and negligence employed in construction works.
What Is the Complete Case? The Culvert Was Constructed Just Three Months Ago
According to detailed accounts, a culvert was constructed to facilitate smooth movement on the important route connecting Madarghat to Mahantbari under Ward Number 20 of the Kasba Municipal Council area. Local residents had hoped that the construction of this culvert would make their journey safe and easy.
However, this joy did not last very long. Scarcely three months had passed since its construction when, during recent rains, the culvert could not withstand the heavy flow of water and collapsed, getting damaged. The situation is such that the brick retaining wall of the culvert has completely washed away in the water, while the heavy pipe installed underneath for drainage has also shifted completely out of place.
Villagers' Outrage Erupts: Substandard Materials and Negligence Alleged
Due to the culvert collapsing within mere days in this manner, local people harbor deep resentment against the administration and contractors (concessionaires). Villagers state that if the construction work had been carried out with complete honesty and under prescribed technical standards, the culvert would not have broken like this in minor rains.
Villagers have openly alleged that large-scale corruption took place in this construction work and extremely substandard materials were used. People also state that at the location where this culvert was built, soil erosion occurs every year due to floods and water pressure. Despite this, carrying out construction just for formality without any solid and visionary planning is nothing less than a direct waste of public funds.
Movement Blocked, Concerns Heightened Regarding Flood Season
With the damage to the culvert, traffic and pedestrian movement on this route leading from Madarghat to Mahantbari have been completely disrupted. Schoolchildren, farmers, and ordinary citizens who used this very route for daily chores are now facing immense hardships.
Local residents state that the monsoon has just begun and the flood season has not even arrived properly, yet this is the state of affairs. If solid steps are not taken in this direction in time, the situation will become even more terrifying and grave in the coming days when floodwaters rise fully.
Major Demands of Local Residents
Having united following the incident, villagers and enlightened citizens have placed some firm and clear options before the administration:
High-Level Technical Investigation: An impartial and technical investigation of the entire construction work should be conducted by the concerned department.
Action Against Culprits: Contractors, engineers, and guilty officials responsible for this gross negligence should be identified and strict legal and departmental action should be taken against them.
Prompt Reconstruction: Keeping public convenience in mind, the culvert should be reconstructed immediately and robustly so that movement can be restored smoothly.
Reaction and Clarification of Municipal Council Officials
Following the uproar over this entire matter, the responses of responsible officials of the Kasba Municipal Council have also come to the fore. Municipal council worker Ramashankar Singh, associated with the construction work, clarified that this work was carried out through 'vouchers' rather than a major tender. He also revealed the shocking fact that construction work had been carried out at this very spot last year as well, and the voucher for the construction done three months ago this time has not yet been submitted to the office.
Meanwhile, Kasba Municipal Council Executive Officer Deepak Kumar, viewing the seriousness of the matter, has assured that a full technical investigation of this culvert construction will be conducted. He made it clear that if any sort of irregularity or negligence comes to light in the investigation report, strict action will be taken against the guilty according to rules, and further payment will be ensured only on the basis of the investigation report. Currently, following this incident, the market of administrative discussions is hot across the entire area, and people are questioning the functioning of the municipal council.
