Patna, August 6: A section of Patna’s newly inaugurated double-deck flyover collapsed on Sunday following heavy rainfall, raising concerns over the quality of the ₹422-crore infrastructure project just two months after its launch.
Visuals shared by news agency ANI showed a crater on the first tier of the elevated corridor, which forms part of the state capital’s first double-decker flyover. The structure, spanning 2.2 kilometres from Kargil Chowk near Gandhi Maidan to Science College via Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), was inaugurated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on June 11.
The flyover was constructed by the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited and is aimed at decongesting the chronically overcrowded Ashok Rajpath road. The project is part of a broader plan to upgrade the corridor with four levels of transit infrastructure: two elevated tiers, a ground-level service road, and an underground metro line.
Authorities have yet to confirm the cause of the structural failure. However, it occurred amid persistent rainfall in Patna over the past 24 hours, which has led to severe waterlogging across several key areas including Kankarbagh, Rajendra Nagar, Exhibition Road, and Gandhi Maidan.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Patna and other districts including Gaya, Jamui, Aurangabad, Khagaria, and East and West Champaran, forecasting continued heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours.
A district-wise rainfall bulletin issued Sunday reported light to moderate showers across several parts of Bihar since August 2, including Muzaffarpur, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Buxar, Jehanabad, and Vaishali.
The incident has sparked public criticism and raised questions over the oversight and execution of major public infrastructure projects in the state. Authorities have not yet released a statement on potential repair timelines or accountability meas
