House panel asks Railways to prepare database of bridges
The Indian Railways (IR) has already been real time monitoring of Anji Bridge, Chenab Bridge and Bogibeel Bridge are being carried out using sensors to monitor strain, tilt, wind speed, temperature and other important parameters to assess the condition of the bridges and validate their design.
'The Committee desires the Ministry to develop a comprehensive database of railway bridges located in vulnerable areas such as flood-prone zones, landslide-prone regions and other high-risk locations. The Committee is of the view that these bridges require special inspections during the peak monsoon period, in addition to the regular inspections conducted before and after the monsoon,' the report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday read.
It recommended that these structures should undergo special inspections during the peak monsoon period, in addition to routine checks before and after the rains.
'The Committee also urges the Ministry to expand the scope of the real-time bridge monitoring system to include these bridges. Furthermore, the Committee emphasizes the need to strengthen inter-agency coordination particularly with agencies such as the IMD, Ministry of Jal Shakti and local authorities to ensure timely information exchange, advance warnings and prompt joint action for safeguarding bridge infrastructure and ensuring uninterrupted and safe rail operations during adverse weather conditions,' it said.
For underwater bridge structures, the parliamentary committee, in its fourth report titled 'Construction and maintenance of Rail tunnels and bridges including road over bridges/ road under bridges' also suggested greater use of technologies such as Remote Operated Robotic Vehicles to improve inspection accuracy, reduce risks to human divers and enable precise detection of defects. It recommended regular reviews of inspection of protocols and adoption of advanced repair methods to improve safety and durability.
The committee also suggested implying the 'Amrit Sarovar' initiative in all major projects, particularly in water stressed regions, with proper planning, community participation and long term maintenance to ensure water conservation and ecological benefits.
It recommended speedy completion of the Tunnel Management System-which was put in place in 2024-25 for continuous monitoring of tunnels, with regular data updates. The committee also asked feasibility checks to be done for escape tunnels or evacuation routes in all tunnels over three km. It also recommended reviewing shorter tunnels in vulnerable zones for possible safety upgrades.
It also provided recommendations for speeding up work for Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs), eliminating level crossings on a pilot basis with the National Highways Authority of India, clear timelines, joint review meetings and public-private partnerships. It also recommended creating a formal mechanism to involve elected representatives in ROB/RUB planning and execution to help resolve land, utility and clearance issues, ensuring timely completion and better maintenance.
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