Jamtara (Jharkhand), July 29 A decades-old bridge that served as a vital lifeline for over 150 villages in Jharkhand’s Jamtara district collapsed on Tuesday, severing all direct connectivity of more than 150 villages with the district headquarters.
The Dakshin Bahal bridge, linking Jamtara to Deoghar, crumbled under the force of gushing river water following days of persistent rainfall, plunging the entire area into chaos.
Built in 1980 using stone boulders, the bridge had long been a crucial artery for daily commuters, students, patients, and workers.
Authorities had restricted movement on it to two-wheelers after it sustained damage on July 18 after a heavy downpour -- but the structure finally gave way on Tuesday, halting all traffic.
Now, villagers who once needed to travel just half a km to access schools, hospitals, and markets will have to take a 15 to 20 km detour.
The collapse has brought life in this region -- part of Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari’s constituency -- to a standstill.
“I used to take this bridge to reach college every day. Now it feels like the entire village is cut off from the world,” said Aarti Kumari, a student stranded in her village.
Daily wage labourers, schoolchildren, and patients trying to reach the Jamtara Sadar Hospital are among the worst affected.
Thousands of vehicles once crossed the bridge daily, connecting people to essential services and trade routes. Now, with the bridge gone, traffic is at a complete halt.
Residents fear emergency situations could spiral into tragedies without urgent government intervention.
Following the collapse, district officials rushed to the site to assess the situation. With the river still in spate, locals have been warned to stay away from the debris due to the risk of accidents.
“Barricading is being done, and we've initiated coordination with the department to arrange an alternative route and start work on a new bridge,” said SDM Anant Kumar.
Locals, meanwhile, are growing restless. Their demand is clear -- immediate action. Temporary connectivity and a permanent new bridge must be fast-tracked before the monsoon deepens the crisis.
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