PATNA, March 22 -- 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. "They are not part of the main structure," he stressed. "In three or four piers, they were simply not removed after work finished." He added that the experts gave a verbal all-clear on the spot but he has asked for a detailed written report by next week. The 4.7-km bridge, which links NH-31 at Naugachhia to NH-33 in Bhagalpur, has been a vital lifeline between northern and southern Bihar since it opened in 2001. It was built by a UP government's bridge construction company at the cost of around Rs.838 crore. A new four-lane bridge parallel to it is already under construction. Bhagalpur district magistrate Nawal Kishor Choudhary confirmed that an executive engineer had visited the site and noted the damage to the walls around pillars, reportedly 17, 18 and 19. "We will form an expert team if needed and take whatever steps are required to keep commuting safe," he told reporters. Yet the reassurance has done little to quieten opposition's voices. Former MLA of Congress party Ajit Sharma said he had flagged the issue in writing earlier, only to be ignored. "If this damage spreads, lakhs of lives will be at risk, but the government is still sleeping," he charged. Talking to a news agency, RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha went further, linking the episode to a wider pattern. "Let's list how many bridges have collapsed in the last few years... This is not collapse, this is corruption," he said, adding that the issue would have dominated national headlines had the roles been reversed. His remarks come as Bihar continues to face withering criticism for a string of bridge failures over the past three years. In 2024 alone, more than a dozen structures gave way - some within days of each other during the monsoon - including five in just nine days across districts such as Araria, Siwan, East Champaran, Kishanganj and Madhubani. The 15-year-old bridge over the Gandaki River in Saran collapsed in July that year, one of three failures in the district in 24 hours. Even the Agwani-Sultanganj bridge has tumbled three times in as many years, with videos of the latest falls going viral and raising pointed questions about quality and oversight. Engineers have been suspended and contractors blacklisted in some cases, yet the cycle of cracks, collapses and blame-shifting has refused to end. Commuters on Vikramshila Setu, meanwhile, kept crossing the river as usual on Saturday, even as the damaged walls stood exposed to the Ganga's strong currents. For thousands who rely on the bridge daily - and for a government already battling a credibility crisis on infrastructure - the coming week's expert report could prove crucial....