127 years in the making: PM Modi to flag off Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat train on June 6
The 111-km Katra-Banihal section, the final and most difficult leg of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), will open for public use - closing the last gap in a railway dream that took root as far back as 1898.
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Who is Madhavi Latha, IISc professor who spent 17 years helping build J&K's Chenab Bridge?
The Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge, has been inaugurated. G Madhavi Latha, a professor at Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Science, worked on the project as a geotechnical consultant for 17 years. The construction was beset with challenges, but she and her team adopted 'design-as-you-go' approach for the engineering marvel read more The Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The world's highest railway arch bridge, unveiled on Friday (June 6), is an engineering marvel. It is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL), which will provide all-weather rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. The Chenab Bridge stands high at 359 metres (1,178 feet) above the Chenab riverbed, 35 metres taller than the Paris' Eiffel Tower. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The construction of the bridge was a major challenge due to the region's harsh terrain. An expert in rock engineering gave her 17 years to help build the 1,315 metres long bridge. But who is she? We will take a look. Madhavi Latha's role in building Chenab Bridge G Madhavi Latha, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Science (IISc), spent 17 years on the Chenab Bridge project as a geotechnical consultant. A specialist in rock engineering, she was roped in by the Northern Railways and the Chenab bridge project contractor Afcons to advise them on slope stabilisation and bridge foundation. This was to ensure the bridge could withstand very harsh natural conditions, including wind speeds of more than 220 kmph. With a lifespan of 120 years, the Chenab bridge can resist high-velocity winds with speeds up to 260 kmph, extreme temperatures, earthquakes, and hydrological impacts if water levels rise. The Chenab bridge's design and construction have been done by a joint venture comprising Afcons Infrastructure, South Korea-based Ultra Construction & Engineering Company, and VSL India. Speaking to Deccan Herald (DH), Latha said, 'IISc was the consultant for slope stabilisation and foundation, whereas foreign firms were involved in making the steel arch. Planning of the bridge started in 2005, and it was completed in 2022 when trial runs with full-speed trains were carried out.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This unsupported steel arch has a length of about half a kilometre. It rests on the left and right abutments, along with eight piers, on the slopes. During the construction, Professor Latha's team adopted a 'design-as-you-go" approach, meaning they had to adapt in real-time depending on geological conditions such as fractured rocks, hidden cavities, and different rock properties, not evident in early surveys. Last month, the article, Design as You Go: The Case Study of Chenab Railway Bridge, published in the Women's Special issue of the Indian Geotechnical Journal by Dr Latha laid out the challenges that they faced while constructing the bridge over the past 17 years. 'The construction of a civil engineering marvel like the Chenab bridge posed many challenges from planning to completion. A rigid design with fixed dimensions and pre-determined solutions would not have been feasible, considering the continuously evolving geological and geotechnical conditions,' she noted in the article. 'The design-as-you-go approach adopted in this project made the construction of the bridge possible despite the critical challenges encountered in every stage during the 17 years of its construction period,' the professor added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Due to high rock discontinuities and steep slopes, a major challenge was to construct the Chenab bridge 's arch abutments and foundations for piers on the slopes. The solution found by Latha and other project engineers was to use the technique of cement grouting with pieces of rock and steel rods for reinforcement, reported DH. Who is Madhavi Latha? Professor Madhavi Latha completed her PhD in geotechnical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. She was teaching at IIT Guwahati before she joined the IISc in 2004. Dr Latha, who was the first female faculty member at IISc at the time, had to fight to get a toilet for women. 'Back then, there were no exclusive toilets for women in the department. There were only men's toilets. I had to really fight to get a women's toilet in the geotechnical engineering building,' IISc says on its website, quoting the professor. Soon after PM Modi inaugurated the Chenab bridge, IISc took to X to laud her, 'We are proud of Prof Madhavi Latha & her team's contribution to the #ChenabBridge inaugurated by Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi. The team worked on stability of slopes, design & construction of foundations, design of slope stabilisation systems, incl. rock anchors to withstand hazards.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD BJP MP Tejasvi Surya also hailed Latha for her contributions to building the Chenab bridge. Congratulating the civil engineer, he wrote, 'Your role in this engineering marvel inspires young minds, especially women in STEM, to lead in nation-building.' Congratulations to Prof. Madhavi Latha of @iiscbangalore for your remarkable contribution to the #ChenabBridge — the world's highest railway arch bridge, inaugurated today by PM Shri @NarendraModi. Your role in this engineering marvel inspires young minds, especially women in… — Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) June 6, 2025 Latha is currently the Chair of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST). She has won laurels over the years. In 2021, Latha bagged the Best Woman Geotechnical Researcher award by the Indian Geotechnical Society. She also made it to the Top 75 Women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) of India in 2022. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Meet Dr Madhavi Latha, the IISc professor who dedicated 17 years for the Chenab Bridge
The Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir is the highest bridge in the world and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The project is part of the 272 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), which was approved in 2003. One of the major contributors to the construction of the engineering marvel is Dr G Madhavi Latha , a professor at the Indian Institute of Science ( IISc ) in Bengaluru. She was involved for 17 years in the Chenab Bridge project as a geotechnical consultant. Latha worked closely with Afcons, the contractor of the bridge, in the planning, design and construction of the structure, focusing on the obstacles due to the terrain. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Chuck Norris Begs Seniors: Avoid These 3 Foods Like The Plague Roundhouse Provisions Learn More Undo Who Is G Madhavi Latha? Madhavi Latha is currently a HAG professor at IISc. She completed her in Civil Engineering in 1992 from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, where she achieved first class with distinction. She then bagged a gold medal as an student at the National Institute of Technology, Warangal with a specialisation in Geotechnical Engineering . Further, Latha completed her doctorate from IIT-Madras in 2000 in Geotechnical Engineering. Live Events She has received several awards over the years, including the Best Woman Geotechnical Researcher award by the Indian Geotechnical Society in 2021. She was also named in the Top 75 Women in STEAM of India in 2022. Role In Chenab Bridge Project The bridge is an extremely challenging project due to the adverse topography, weather conditions and remote location. Latha's team adopted a 'design-as-you-go approach' to overcome the obstacles. They innovated in real time based on geological conditions such as fractured rocks, hidden cavities, and varying rock properties, which were not evident in early surveys. The team made complex calculations and design modifications to work around the actual rock mass conditions they found during the construction. Latha's contributions included advice on the design and placement of rock anchors to improve stability. She has recently published a paper in the Indian Geotechnical Journal's women's special issue titled 'Design as You Go: The Case Study of Chenab Railway Bridge.' The paper describes how the design of the bridge has evolved continuously, with the overall structure, location and type being the only constants to suit the geological conditions of the site. About Chenab Bridge The Chenab Bridge, described as the "biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history' by the government is built at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore. The 359-metre bridge is taller than the Eiffel Tower by 35 metres. It is set to improve connectivity in the Kashmir valley.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Mesmerising Visuals Emerge As Kashmir's 1st Vande Train Crosses Iconic Anji Bridge
Last Updated: Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by PM Modi yesterday. The bridge itself is an architechtural marvel as it provides seamless connectivity between Katra and Reasi Visuals have emerged from inside the Kashmir's first Vande Bharat Express train as it crossed the Anji Khad Bridge on Saturday. As the Vande train moved on the bridge, the video captured the mesmerising beauty of the Kashmir valley. The Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday. The bridge itself is an architechtural marvel as it provides seamless connectivity between Katra and Reasi. The Kashmir's Vande train, a symbol of progress and connectivity, will run daily between Katra and the Kashmir Valley. Earlier, passengers from any part of the country could travel by train up to Katra only. From there, they would have to take road or air route to reach Srinagar and the Kashmir Valley but now they have train connectivity till Kashmir. #WATCH | Visuals from inside of Kashmir's first Vande Bharat Express train as it crosses the Anji Khad Bridge, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday. — ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2025 Further, a couple from Varanasi celebrated their son's birthday on board the Kashmir's Vande train by cutting the cake as it reached Anji Khad Bridge The child's father Rakesh Jaiswal said they celebrated the birthday on train so it becomes memorable for his son named Moksh. 'It was a coincidence that it was our son's birthday the same day PM Modi was going to flag off this train. We thought we should celebrate our son's birthday on the first journey of this train so that his birthday becomes memorable for him," news agency ANI quoted him as saying. Now, the train will not only cut down travel time but also boost tourism and make Kashmir more accessible. The Anji Bridge, on which the train will travel, holds the distinction of being first cable-stayed railway bridge in India. Connecting Katra and Reasi, the bridge has 96 cables. It is designed to withstand the region's challenging terrain and seismic activity. Built by Konkan Railway, the bridge spans the Anji River – a tributary of the Chenab. Situated about 80 kilometres from Jammu, the Anji Bridge is 331 metres above the riverbed and stretches 725 metres across. The total length of cable strand used in the bridge is an impressive 653 kilometres. Over 8,200 metric tonnes of structural steel were used for its construction. Besides the Vande train, PM Modi also unveiled the 111-kilometre Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project on Friday that now allows direct train connectivity to Kashmir from Jammu. A remarkable feat of engineering, the USBRL is a 272-km-long project, and barring the 111-km section, trains were already operating on the remaining 161 km from both ends. Altogether, the project includes 36 tunnels (collectively 119 km) and 943 bridges. The railways ministry believes that the USBRL project – sanctioned in 1994-95 – is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken in the country post-independence. The journey between Katra and Banihal will pass through 37 bridges with a combined length of seven km. The list includes 26 mega and major bridges and 11 minor ones. When starting the journey from Katra, passengers will come across a number of minor bridges and at least four unique bridges on their way to Srinagar. First Published: June 07, 2025, 15:15 IST
