Editorial: Of falling bridges and sinking standards
India cannot claim itself to be a future economic superpower without getting its basic civic infrastructure right
A series of bridge collapses — be it in Gujarat, Bihar or Maharashtra — comes as a rude wake-up call, exposing chinks in the country’s infrastructure management system. Poor construction quality, use of substandard materials, design flaws and inadequate maintenance and monitoring are among the reasons for the mishaps resulting in the death of several people. The collapse of the 43-year-old Gambhira bridge in Gujarat’s Vadodara, leaving over 18 people dead, was the latest instance showing how infrastructure is often built in haste with minimum oversight on quality and poor maintenance. The 830-metre-long bridge, which connects central Gujarat with the Saurashtra region, simply caved in, resulting in more than half a dozen vehicles falling into the Mahisagar river. This bridge was heavily patronised by truckers, tankers, and people wanting to avoid the toll on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway. The structure was reportedly showing signs of distress for more than three years. Despite repeated warnings by local people, including panchayat leaders, the issue did not receive attention from the Vadodara division of the Gujarat Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department. The Gujarat government has now announced a probe and sought a report from the district Collector. Justice must be served and accountability fixed for negligence. Unfortunately, bridge collapses have been a recurring phenomenon in the country. In Bihar alone, 12 bridges collapsed within three weeks last year. Several of them caved in before they were inaugurated, raising serious questions about the quality of materials used and the role of contractors.
India cannot claim itself to be a future economic superpower without getting its basic civic infrastructure right. Lack of safety measures and widespread corruption in public works contracts, especially in local civic projects, is rampant. This neglect is costing innocent lives. India’s bridges have been collapsing for years, exposing a larger problem plaguing our infrastructure projects. In a major tragedy, over 135 people were killed when a suspension bridge collapsed in Gujarat’s Morbi nearly three years ago. In June this year, a 30-year-old bridge collapsed in Pune, killing four people. As part of its ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision, the NDA government has been giving a massive push to the infrastructure sector, from expressways to metros and from Setu Bharatam to PM Gati Shakti. However, a 2017 survey by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways showed that over 6,500 bridges on national highways were in a ‘distressed’ condition, with 20 bridges over a century old being decommissioned as an urgent priority. Care and maintenance for such infrastructure projects are routinely ignored. Accountability in the tendering process is often found to be weak, and private contractors have created a dangerous ecosystem of cutting costs for more profits. In many cases, contracts are not given on merit but based on political connections. Many evade the burden of following safety protocols and facing audits by paying bribes.
