B & C to conduct Structural Audit of Bridges

6 bridges in constant contact with water included

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Following orders issued on Monday by District Collector Gowda G C to inspect all 63 small and large bridges in the district, the Building and Construction (B & C) division has decided to conduct a structural audit of all bridges under its jurisdiction.

The Collector also directed that alternative routes should be identified immediately if traffic movement becomes impossible due to flooding or other reasons. Consequently, structural audits of six bridges that remain in constant contact with water will be carried out in May.

While there are 63 bridges in the district, the number of bridges directly under the B & C division is lower. In the district, bridges over the Godavari river, specifically on the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Ahilyanagar road at Kaygaon and the road leading from Paithan to Shevgaon, are frequently affected by floods.

Additionally, several villages are often surrounded by floodwaters, including Paithan town, Kawsan, Dadegaon-Jahangir, Naygaon, Wadwali, and Navgaon. Dongaon, Babtara, Lakhganga, Nandurdhok, Babulgaon, and Bajathan.

There are various small and large bridges in these areas, some of which fall under the jurisdiction of the Irrigation Department. Bridges located within the city over the Kham and Sukhna rivers, as well as those in the old city, will also undergo auditing.

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Damage during last year's monsoon

Heavy rains caused significant damage to roads and bridges across various parts of the district last year. A total of 27 bridges were damaged, and approximately 400 km of roads were washed away or destroyed.

While repairs to the roads and bridges were carried out over the past year, the current condition of the structures will only be confirmed once the pre-monsoon audit is completed.

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The maintenance of bridges lies with the Irrigation and Public Works Departments. There is a higher concentration of bridges along the Godavari River basin. The Chief Engineer has ordered structural audits for bridges whose foundations are submerged in water.

While the number of such bridges is small, there are many bridges in the Apegaon, Vaijapur, and Paithan areas. Small bridges over other rivers are also included. All structural audits will be completed by the end of May.

(Sheshrao Chavan, Executive Engineer)