Under-construction canal bridge pillar collapses in Odisha’s Balasore

Nilagiri: Poor engineering work for a canal project in Odisha came to the fore as a pillar of an under-construction bridge collapsed here last night.

According to reports, a total of six pillars were constructed for the bridge being built for a canal near Astia village under Nilagiri Block in Odisha’s Balasore district. The 6th pillar collapsed on Saturday night due to substandard work.

The locals and sarpanch alleged that construction work is being carried out during night hours without the presence of engineers. The collapse of the pillar proved that the construction work was substandard.

“The bridge is being constructed for the Salandi canal project near Astia village. The construction work is not undertaken as per the estimate and requirement. The work is not carried out in the daytime. It is taking place during night hours. The concrete used for the construction of the pillar is being prepared somewhere and the workers engaged here pour the mixture at night. Neither the engineer nor any technician remains present during the work. The pillar collapsed last night due to poor quality work,” alleged Shyamsundarpur GP Sarpanch Purushottam Sethy.

“The construction work of the canal is substandard as the pillar collapsed. The bridge for the canal is being constructed during night hours sans supervision of any engineer. We request district administration to probe the matter, or else, the crores worth project will fail,” a local said.