A significant portion of the Banai River bridge on the Khunti-Simdega main road near Pelol village has collapsed, leading to a complete standstill in traffic. This bridge is an important part of the infrastructure, connecting Ranchi to Khunti, Simdega, and also linking to Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and other states. It is the most direct route to the Baba Amreshwar Dham. Local sources report that the bridge had been showing signs of deterioration for some time. Despite this, heavy vehicles continued to use it. After heavy rainfall, a part of the bridge gave way on Thursday morning, causing the structure to collapse. A truck got stuck in the middle during the incident, but there were no serious injuries. Transportation has been completely affected and alternative routes are now in use. Villagers noted that the bridge was constructed around ten to twelve years ago, claiming that the quality of construction was not up to standard. They believe the incident is due to lack of timely repair work. This road sees hundreds of vehicles every day from Khunti, Simdega, and surrounding areas. People are now facing significant problems using the alternate routes. The bridge is a key route for those travelling from Ranchi to Khunti, Simdega and also to Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and other regions.
