[jaaz]

The repairs & maintenance work, as per the Contractor were supposed to be completed in between 8-12 months, but the bridge was opened within 7 months. The reason is quite obvious.

General public would never know how many persons are on the bridge unless it's displayed prominently, but the ticket seller could've easily stopped after a certain number. Did the maintenance company inform or display the maximum weight, the bridge can take? Maximum weight is displayed in all the lifts, why not for the bridges?

Massive corruption is the sole reason for not arresting or naming in FIR, the Company officials who got the tender. Only small fish are arrested. Can't believe the vague answer of the Contractor who said "Bhagawan ki ichcha". What wrong did the children do?

[Mahen_8060]

People have lost near and dear ones and the insensitivity that was shown while adressing/admitting and reacting to this situation left me speechless and in deep concerning thoughts about where we are headed as nation.

Now there would be farce of enquiry, someone would be made a scapegoat (four already, more to come) and world would never know the real culprits, no matter how much we discuss.

[xjosephjacob]

Very unfortunate incident, and an eye opener that the thousands of structures (especially the British era ones) that are still in service in country are disasters waiting to happen. There's 130 year old dilapidated dam hanging over the lives of millions of people downstream like Damocles sword in the southern part of the country.

No man made structure are forever, and no amount of rejuvenation can perpetuate them. Everything must be retired at the appropriate time. In the current Morbi incident as well, few unfortunate stakeholders will be made the scapegoats and country will move on.

[petrol_head_]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

And as I predicted, a carefully choreographed event for the optics - new beds and linen, selected injured patients moved to newly deep cleaned newly painted rooms, new water coolers with no connection to water and a show of care and sympathy and cases against minions to save the big one's. Why do we the public take ourselves for so granted?

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/morb...dtv_topstories

To put this tragedy in context, almost the same amount of people have been killed as in one of the biggest terrorist attack on Indian soil and by far the most number of people killed in a bridge collapse in the last few decades atleast.

Extremely shocking and sad to see politicians doing all these photo op over such incidents instead of clearly apologising for their mistakes. Honestly it's only the people responsible for blindly following and believing their so called netas, which make them confident enough to hide their mistakes in plain sight.

[maddy42]

This is such a sorry news to hear! Hope the family find the strength to deal with this issue.

Maintenance: We BHPians know you can spend a lot of money to buy a car or bike, but if you do not spend the effort to maintain it, keep it clean, change oil and ensure your brakes are proper it is bound to throw up issues or breakdown.

Preventative maintenance is not done in any govt project post the sanction. Roads are not fixed on time, building is not maintained on time, bridges foundations are not checked on time. Overloading is permitted and everyone in charge just turns a blind eye to these incidents.

We have a similar Hanging bridge over a river in front of our farm. Its used by people to walk across the river and kids to walk to school, essentially a pedestrian crossing. But every year we have some idiots using this bridge to get their power tillers or mini tractors across. When will some common civic sense wake people up. Just because its not your property does not give you the right to abuse or misuse it.

Sorry for the rant. If we do not fix our judicial system such incidents will frequently keep occuring. Even a country like US has broken bridges and roads but we can make sure the DOT is aware of these and tries to fix things when it occurs. Our PWD is a bribe filled hell hole and only the daring contractors will want to deal with them.

I hope all the people responsible gets hung out to dry and the blame is not passed onto an easy scapegoat while everyone else gets away.

[jaaz]

Update: Out of 2 crores sanctioned for the repair and maintenance of the Bridge, only 8 lakhs was spent. Maintenance can be managed through the Ticket sales itself, no need of fresh infusion of funds. So, the Contractor got 96% profit? Or the Politicians Cut is more than 60%.

A decade earlier, we used to fume at 5-10% Cut. Now 40% has become the norm. Some states are ahead, crossing 50%. We ignored everything, therefore we are witnessing the results, whether it's bridges, roads and other infrastructure. Almost all Audits are stopped viz., safety, social, financial etc., It's time we take our safety in to our own hands.

[Amrik Singh]

The Bridge has burnt, Flame has extinguished, Dust has settled on the Ashes. Media is quiet.
Scapegoats are 'IN' while the real culprits are 'OUT' conniving for another scandalous project.
Only difference has come into the lives of those who lost their kin.
Neither is this man made tragedy the first in India, nor would it be the last.
This would happen again and again as long as the greed and corruption reign the country.

[deathwalkr]

Struggling to understand how the owner/ceo of the firm is still not being taken into custody?!

Our TRP hungry journalists usually find many such people and shove the microphone into their mouths to get some tidbits but no such word from the top honcho of this firm?

Has the company even released a statement?

Just weirded out as to how quickly this is getting brushed under the carpet.

Only hope is the court (False?)

[deathwalkr]

So as expected, has this been buried under a landfill? Or is something happening and it's just the media that is not reporting it?

[deathwalkr]

Small update:
https://indianexpress.com/article/ci...inues-8400182/

But no one really seems to care anymore i guess.

[jaaz]

Judiciary is our last hope, don't know how long will it last. Just naming MD is not enough to deter the Contractor's from doing sub-standard work. They should also check, what happened to the remaining 96% of the funds sanctioned for the repair work.

[deathwalkr]

Apparently Oreva has offered to compensate the victims of the tragedy but the court is in no mood to accept that.

Saddest part even after months, the owner of the company responsible has not even been spoken to i think :(

There was an editorial in today's TOI about this and how it must be dealt with.

Sad stuff really.

[reignofchaos]

According to the above article, the owner of the company is on the run since the bridge collapsed. No one is in contact with him.

First task would be to apprehend that guy,

[deathwalkr]

Looks like the MD of Oreva, Jasukh Patel has surrendered in court now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKgchl5ZRzY

[bblost]

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/guja...n-bail-5316023

The prime accused has been released on bail.