NEW DELHI, Mar 5: A bridge in Uttarakhand, which was washed away in February 7 flash floods, was rebuilt by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in just eight days. The structure, called Bailey bridge, was inaugurated on Thursday.
“We have inaugurated 200-feet-long Bailey bridge for traffic movement. The bridge has been built in eight days,” BRO’s chief engineer AS Rathore said.
The bridge is located in Raini village, in Tapovan area of Chamoli district, which was affected the most by the flash flood caused by glacier burst. The Rishiganga Hydropower Project, which was being built in the area, was washed away along with a dam.
Another hydroelectic project was also swept away in the tragedy in which more than 70 people were killed and over 200 are still missing.
The flood was triggered after a chunk of a glacier – which experts said was 15 football fields long and five across – broke off from the main structure and fell into a small river.
The roaring deluge of water, rocks and soil hurtled down the V-shaped valley in the mountainous region, sweeping away homes, roads and bridges.
(Manas Dasgupta)