Chitrakoot, Aug. 31 -- The worst flood to hit Chitrakoot in two decades has submerged parts of the holy town, breached local dams, and swept away the critical Ramghat-Hanuman Dhara bridge over the surging Mandakini River.

The structural failure occurred on August 29 after days of relentless torrential rainfall caused the river's water level to swell dramatically.

Speaking with ANI, on inspection of the devastated site, Gopal Singh, Chief Engineer (Bridge) of the Madhya Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD), outlined the technical damage and the administration's emergency action plan.

He said that installing new spans and rectifying core structural defects to fully rebuild the bridge is estimated to take 8 to 9 months. Acknowledging the...