BackWest Bengal to demolish, rebuild collapsed bridge
A new bridge will be constructed in its place within a year
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Kolkata: The state government of West Bengal has decided to demolish the Majerhat flyover, a part of which collapsed on 4 September, killing three persons, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Friday.
A new bridge will be constructed in its place within a year, Banerjee announced after receiving a preliminary report from the state’s chief secretary Malay Kumar De. “We will start work immediately," she said.
The chief minister admitted that the public works department of her own government was responsible for poor maintenance of the bridge, adding that the guilty will not be shielded. The department was alerted about the bridge’s poor health as early as in 2016, she said.
De’s preliminary report indicated that vibrations from construction of the metro railway nearby could have damaged the bridge, Banerjee said. However, the theory needs to be investigated further, she added. A final report is expected to be submitted within a month.
However, no decision could be taken about another flyover which collapsed in 2016, killing 27 people. Different agencies have suggested different measures to deal with the Vivekananda Road flyover, the construction of which has been stalled since the accident, the chief minister said.
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