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Time of India

Unsafe bridge over Kusi river to be demolished

1 2 Kendrapada: A decade-old unsafe bridge over the Kusi river at Panasa gram panchayat in Jajpur district will be demolished soon, official sources said. Special secretary, department of rural development Sarbeswar Singh, in his letter dated Aug 12 directed the superintendent engineer (SE) of rural development, Jajpur to demolish the 'Biju Setu', which was built in 2015 at a cost of Rs 17 crore. Earlier, a committee of the rural development department gave its approval to demolish the bridge. The bridge had been shut off for commuters since last month after three of its seven pillars leaned on July 11. "A tender will be floated soon by our department to demolish the unsafe bridge," said superintending engineer (rural development), Jajpur, Abinash Barik. "While demolishing the bridge, adequate safety measures and special care will be taken to ensure that there are no traffic problems in the vicinity due to the demolition. A new bridge will be built after the demolition," added Barik. "When bridge pillars lean, it indicates a serious structural defect that could lead to collapse. This leaning often results from issues with the bridge's foundation, such as soil erosion, poor construction or overloading," said Biswanath Behera, a retired engineer. "The bridge connects Chainipur gram panchayat to Panasa gram panchayat. The authorities should build a new bridge after demolishing the unsafe bridge," said Kulamani Parida, the sarpanch of Panasa. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Benefits of Trading Bitcoin CFDs IC Markets Learn More Undo "I have been using this bridge to reach the market in Jajpur town only five kilometres away to sell vegetables. The officials closed the unsafe bridge for commuters last month. As a result, I have to travel an extra six km to go to Jajpur town," said Bhagabat Behera of Panasa. "Due to lack of proper maintenance and poor construction work, a decade-old bridge became unsafe. As a result, the fate of many villagers of Barabhagia, Pusi, Ankola and other villages is now at stake. We hope the authorities will build a new bridge after dismantling the unsafe structure. The govt should take action against the contractors and officials as the bridge was erected by them," said Sunil Kumar Jena of Chainapur. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.