Zee Exclusive: PWD floated tender for maintenance of Majherhat bridge in April

KOLKATA: Amid the political blame game and Trinamool-led West Bengal government's refusal to accept that Public Works Department (PWD) is responsible for the maintenance of Majherhat bridge, Zee News Media located the original tender floated for the repair of the bridge in April this year. 

The e-tender, issued by PWD Alipore Division, lists out the repair work that needs to be undertaken. 

The government had allocated Rs 16,18,181 for “Surface repairing of Taratala Fly over, Majerhat Bridge and D H Road." 

The work included patch repair or maintenance, repair and rehabilitation including sanitary and plumbing work, and so on. Work had to begin in August and completed within six to seven months from the date of commencement.

However, the tender couldn't go through and no repair work was undertaken. 

On Tuesday evening, a section of 50-year-old Majerhat bridge on the arterial Diamond Harbour Road in south Kolkata, killing one person, trapping several people and crushing many vehicles. 

The search operations for survivors continued on Wednesday morning amid rains to find anyone possibly trapped in the debris, officials said. 

Rescuers tried drilling the concrete slabs, used sophisticated cameras and engaged sniffer dogs to ensure anybody trapped under the rubble could be reached and rescued. 

Additional lighting arrangements were made to aid the rescue works at night, the officials said. 

"There could be a few trapped underneath the collapsed bridge. We are trying to find them out. We are using cutters and drill machines to cut through the concrete slabs of the bridge. Till now, we are unable to locate anybody. We are trying our best," an official of the rescue team said this morning. 

The area near the site had been dug up for a metro railway project and construction material are strewn all over the place. 

With agency inputs