A railway overbridge built at an estimated price tag of Rs 26 crore near Barga village in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh has cracked and popped within weeks of its commencement, raising doubts on its construction.
South East Central Railway built this overbridge, which was opened in June and is used by several hundred villagers from surrounding villages. After the first monsoon rainfall, locals have been noticed significant cracks in the bridge, and some said that it seems to have divided into two.
Residents have voiced concerns about commuters’ safety as well as a request for an immediate technical assessment of the building. They also requested the construction company be taken to task if negligence is discovered during the investigation.
The situation is also muddy at another railway overbridge at Aaliwara, local residents said, while parts of the road have reportedly sunk and there are potholes below the surface. The villagers said they were concerned about the durability of infrastructure as this damage occurs at the first monsoon.
The accident has led to some complaints about the quality of public projects because the residents say that it was supposed to be better built but it didn’t meet their expectations with such a high price tag.
Repairs have already started on the affected sections of the bridge, according to railway officials. A railway engineer said an in-depth technical investigation will be carried out to figure out the actual reason behind the development of a crack.
Insignificant settlement following the first rains has been seen in some new constructions, he continued, and there is no imminent risk at this time. In advance of taking further action however, a technical team, and senior railway officials, will be investigating the bridge.