Uttarakhand engineers suspended after bridge approach road collapse

The Uttarakhand Public Works Department (PWD) has suspended three engineers and the registration of a contractor following the collapse of an approach road to a newly constructed bridge over the Tons River at Nanda Ki Chowki. The bridge, built at a cost of approximately Rs 16 crore, had been reopened to the public on July 12 and collapsed just 16 days later on July 28 following heavy rainfall.

A preliminary inquiry attributed the damage to serious technical deficiencies and negligence. Investigators found that the design consultant failed to prepare a plan for river diversion and that necessary river training measures were not implemented. Consequently, the river flow concentrated at a single point, causing heavy scouring upstream of the bridge abutment and creating a cavity beneath the approach road.

Among those suspended are Executive Engineer Rajesh Kumar, Assistant Engineer Amit Kumar Tyagi, and Junior Engineer Naveen Gairola. Additionally, the PWD has suspended the registration of the firm executing the work, M/s Himalayan Construction Dehradun, and barred it from participating in future tenders pending further assessment.