The quality of the newly constructed railway underpass bridge, built at a cost of approximately 5 crore rupees near the west cabin of Ray railway station on the Barwadih-Barkakana rail section, has come under serious question. This happened when the PCC guardwall of the bridge collapsed during a heavy downpour around 5:45 PM on Wednesday. According to eyewitnesses, the sound of the guardwall collapsing was as loud as a bomb blast, causing panic among the people nearby. Fortunately, construction work was halted due to the rain at the time, averting a major accident and there were no reports of casualties. The underpass bridge was being constructed by RVNL (Rail Vikas Nigam Limited) on behalf of the Railways. Construction of both sides of the bridge was nearly complete, and preparations for its inauguration were underway. The collapse of the guardwall in the very first rain has exposed the poor workmanship and irregularities in the construction work. Local residents and public representatives are questioning the construction agency’s working style regarding this incident. Railway officials are expected to arrive at the site, and there is a possibility of strict action against the contractors involved. Local residents are deeply angered by the incident. They stated that a major loss of life could have occurred if the incident had happened during the day or when traffic was running. Substandard construction materials and negligence in an important structure like a railway underpass could lead to a serious crisis in the future. This accident is not just a warning but also a time to fix accountability.
