PATNA, March 21 -- Bihar's road construction department (RCD) minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal on Saturday declared the Vikramshila Setu over the Ganga in Bhagalpur 'absolutely safe' for traffic, even as videos of crumbling protection walls around its piers triggered fresh panic on social media.

The minister's assurance came after a team of engineers from the RCD, IIT-Patna and Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) inspected three affected piers following the viral clips. Jaiswal told Hindustan Times that the damage was limited to the "false steining," or protective walls built around the piers during construction in 2001. These walls were meant to keep river water out while the concrete set and were supposed to be dismantled later. ...