Updates on the Morbi Bridge collapse in Gujarat: According to Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, the collapse of the Morbi bridge in Gujarat, which has so far claimed 135 lives, was brought on by “huge corruption.” He asked during a press conference, “Why was a watchmaking firm that had no prior bridge construction knowledge allowed to do so?”
Bhupendra Patel, the chief minister of Gujarat, paid a visit to the state’s capital Morbi on Sunday night to assess the situation of the rescue effort after a recently repaired suspension bridge over the Machchhu river broke in the early evening, killing at least 135 people. The more than a century-old bridge fell at around 6.30 p.m. on October 26 following extensive repairs and restorations.
When the bridge gave way, there were close to 500 people on it. However, the 150-year-old building could support no more than 125 people at a time.
Since yesterday, a slew of theories regarding the probable cause of the bridge collapse have been put forth.
There are theories that blame the administrative error, despite the municipality commissioner’s hasty attempt to place the responsibility on the private trust that undertook the rehabilitation work and reportedly reopened the bridge without first obtaining the appropriate fitness certificate from the government. Here are a few potential causes that could have led to the incident.
1.Private trust Oreva’s responsibility
The Morbi civil body and the watchmaker Oreva agreed to a 15-year deal for the renovation and upkeep of the suspension bridge.
However, according to the primary reports, they have made a number of mistakes. Initially, it has been claimed that Oreva subcontracted the “technical part of the bridge rehabilitation” to Devprakash Solutions, an unrecognized firm.
Furthermore, Oreva did not intend to open the bridge for eight to twelve months in accordance with the contract that the town and the firm had signed in March. However, after seven months of refurbishment work, they finally opened on October 26. It was a “extremely irresponsible and careless gesture,” according to the police FIR. As per the FIR, the sad tragedy was a result of careless service and repairs made by those in positions of power.
And also, the municipality commissioner claims that Oreva must have requested the government-issued fitness certificate. Nevertheless, it opened the bridge without bothering to wait for that to happen.
Days before the collapse of the Morbi bridge, the company claimed to have spent Rs. 2 crore on renovations using materials that were built to their standards.
The Morbi Municipality awarded a contract to Morbi-based clock and e-bike manufacturer Oreva Group to repair and operate the unfortunate hanging bridge for 15 years and collect tickets in the range of Rs 10 to Rs 15 for its use, as per records of the municipality examined on Monday.
The Morbi Bridge over the Machchhu River had fallen the day before, killing 135 people.
2. Was crowding a factor in the bridge’s collapse?
The overcrowding issue is a significant aspect that has been repeatedly cited. Can a suspension bridge actually collapse from overcrowding? Yes it can as per experts.
Congestion was an issue for Oreva as well, despite the fact that he also noted that the age of the metal cables might be to blame.
3. Do shaking and jumping cause the Morbi Bridge to collapse?
Several eyewitness testimonies claim that the people on the Morbi Bridge were trembling and jumping onto it just before the catastrophic incident.
Although it is unclear from the initial examination if leaping on it can cause the suspension wire to collapse, an expert advised not to do so.
They also believed that the town ought to have posted the Dos and Don’ts at the entrance. Whatever the reason, several young people also rocked the Morbi Bridge earlier in the day to frighten the tourists, as per reports from the PTI. Such behaviors on a bridge are not only abhorrent; they should be prohibited.
4. Should police face consequences?
While the ticket seller, the managers of Oreva, and the bridge’s security guards have all been detained. Many also wonder if the state police should have been in charge of maintaining the bridge during an incident like Chhatt.
The police should have been in charge of taking extra care of the old bridge because it was not a regular day and the people were simply here to perform rituals.
5. There were no crowd-control steps taken.
The bridge is a popular destination for travelers. News 18 claims that about 600 tickets, each selling for Rs 17, were sold. This implied that “too many people” were on the Morbi Bridge, which may have caused it to collapse. “No crowd-control measures were taken,” reports News 18.
6. Local authorities did not give a clearance certificate.
Prior to the bridge’s reopening, it appears that the local authorities did not issue a clearance certificate. Municipal Chief Officer Sandeep Singh told CNBC-TV18, “We did not give the commercial contractor, Oreva group (Ajanta manufacturing PVT LTD), permission to reopen the Morbi Bridge(local municipal body). Also, there were no final inspections, and the private operator ignored to let us know the bridge was reopening.
PM Modi preside over high-level meeting
In response to the sad Morbi Bridge accident that claimed at least 135 lives, PM Narendra Modi presided over a high-level conference in Morbi, Gujarat, to assess the situation.
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