The water resource department made it mandatory for companies to take NOC.
The water resource department made it mandatory for companies to take NOC.
Patna, August 12: The Water Resource Department of Bihar has implemented new regulations requiring construction companies to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) before starting any new project.
Such a decision was taken in response to the frequent bridge collapses over the past two months in several districts of Bihar.
Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, the water resource minister of the Bihar government said that the construction companies need to adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for all construction activities.
“Construction companies will not be allowed to construct any bridge or culver without obtaining an NOC from the water resource department,” Chaudhary said.
“The department would grant NOC only to those companies that would comply with specific parameters and SOPs. This measure aims to ensure the structural safety of new constructions in Bihar, preventing further collapses and enhancing public safety,” the water resource minister said.
Bihar government is currently under immense criticism following the collapse of more than fifteen bridges and culverts in the past two months.
Investigations into these incidents have revealed significant lapses in construction standards, with many companies failing to adhere to the necessary parameters. A recurring issue is the inadequate depth of bridge pillars, where the companies erroneously included the silt layer in their calculations of surface depth, leading to weak foundations.
Also Read: A girder of a road bridge collapsed in Madhubani
One of the most recent incidents occurred on August 8 when two pillars of an under-construction bridge floated away in the Ganga River in Bihar’s Katihar district. That incident occurred at Bakiya Sukhay Panchayat under Barari block in the district.
Apart from that, a girder of an under-construction road bridge collapsed in the Madhubani district on June 28, a bridge collapsed in Sikti block in the Araria district on June 18, and another bridge collapsed in Maharajganj block on June 22.
EOM.