By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand government on Friday suspended three engineers of the Public Works Department (PWD) for alleged negligence in connection with the damage to the approach road of a bridge over the Tons River at Nanda Ki Chowki area in Dehradun during heavy rains last month.
The suspended officials include Executive Engineer Rajesh Kumar , who has been suspended for alleged serious negligence in carrying out responsibilities related to technical supervision and quality control. The action was taken based on the findings of an inquiry report.
Apart from the Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineer Amit Tyagi and Junior Engineer Naveen Gairola have also been suspended for alleged negligence in the discharge of their duties.
The state government has also directed the Chief Engineer of the PWD to take immediate action against the bridge’s design consultant and prepare a time-bound action plan based on the recommendations of the inquiry report to ensure the safety and stability of the structure.
The incident occurred on July 28, when heavy rainfall damaged the approach road of the bridge, creating a large cavity and disrupting traffic movement. The bridge had been reopened for public use on July 12 after reconstruction, but suffered damage within weeks due to the heavy rains on July 28.
The government’s action comes amid concerns over the quality of infrastructure works and the need for stricter monitoring of construction and maintenance activities in the state, especially during the monsoon season. The collapse of the approach road of the bridge had triggered widespread criticism from the media, residents and social activists.