Latest news with #GMadhaviLatha
India Today
9 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Meet Dr Madhavi Latha, the IISc professor behind world's highest Chenab bridge
Dr G Madhavi Latha, a distinguished professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and an engineer, has been instrumental in the development of the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge. Located in Jammu and Kashmir, this bridge stands 359 meters above the Chenab River and is part of a crucial railway project aimed at improving Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu congratulated Dr Latha for her 17-year dedication to work towards building the world's highest railway a post on X, the chief minister wrote, "Another Telugu daughter has made India proud! I salute Professor G. Madhavi Latha Garu, one of the brilliant minds behind the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River, inaugurated by Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji on June 6. Hailing from a small village in Andhra Pradesh, she dedicated 17 years of hard work and sacrifice to build this architectural marvel for the nation." He also applauded the entire team for successfully completing this milestone. He added, "I congratulate the entire team of engineers and construction workers on completing this unprecedented project, despite the challenging terrain and harsh weather conditions. Your contributions towards nation-building are inspiring." advertisement PROFESSOR MADHAVI LATHA'S EDUCATIONDr Latha completed her BTech in Civil Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, in 1992. She then pursued her MTech in Geotechnical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, where she graduated as a Gold 2000, she earned her PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from IIT Madras. After completing her doctoral studies, Dr Latha joined the IISc in 2003 as a faculty member, following her tenure as an Assistant Professor at IIT she serves as a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and is also the Chair of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies at AND HONOURSDr Latha has received numerous prestigious awards and honours throughout her career. In 2021, she was recognised as the Best Woman Researcher in Geotechnical Engineering by the Indian Geotechnical also received the Prof SK Chatterjee Outstanding Researcher Award from IISc and the Woman Achiever Award from the Karnataka Book of is a recipient of the SERB POWER Fellowship and was listed amongst the Top 75 Women in STEAM of India in she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Geotechnical Journal from 2016 to 2022 and has been an Associate Editor for several international IN DEVELOPING WORLD'S HIGHEST BRIDGEadvertisementDr Latha's role in this project was not easy. She had to face extreme weather, challenging terrain, and the harsh conditions of the mountainous region. The bridge is being constructed at a height higher than the Eiffel Tower and requires precision engineering to ensure its safety and passion for infrastructure development and her ability to thrive in such a tough environment has earned her great respect amongst her peers. Despite the hurdles, she has successfully managed the bridge's construction with dedication and a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field, Dr Madhavi Latha has faced her share of challenges but continues to break barriers. Her leadership and hard work have inspired many, especially women, to pursue careers in engineering.
India Today
12 hours ago
- India Today
Stability, resistance, long-lasting: The incredible engineering behind Chenab bridge
The Chenab Bridge, now standing as the world's highest railway arch bridge in Jammu & Kashmir, is a marvel of India's engineering prowess and 359 metres above the Chenab River and spanning a breathtaking 1,315 metres, the bridge is taller than the Eiffel Tower and connects the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India by construction has been hailed as one of the country's most ambitious infrastructure projects, overcoming formidable geological, logistical, and technical challenges. According to a press statement issued by the railway ministry, flight pilots are making special announcements and passengers are showing eagerness to capture photographs of the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway-arch bridge. ( PTI Photo) advertisementEngineering and Design Innovations The bridge's design is a unique steel arch, the first of its kind in India. With no existing national codes for such structures, engineers relied on international best practices, notably the British Standard BS: team led by Professor Madhavi Latha worked on the main arch that spans 469 metres, supported by two massive 130-metre-high pylons, and features 17 spans in structure is built to withstand extreme conditions: wind speeds up to 260 km/h, seismic activity up to magnitude 8, and temperatures as low as -20C. To ensure resilience, the bridge uses 63mm-thick blast-proof steel and concrete pillars designed to resist explosions and terrorist threats. Construction Challenges and SolutionsConstructing in the rugged Himalayan terrain posed unprecedented challenges. Access was so difficult that initial transport of materials relied on mules and time, temporary roads—11 km on the north bank and 12 km on the south—were built to facilitate the movement of heavy machinery and construction equipment. The project required 25,000 tonnes of steel, 4,000 tonnes of reinforced steel, and 46,000 cubic metres of of the most critical aspects was ensuring the stability of the steep slopes. Prof. G Madhavi Latha from IISc Bengaluru played a pivotal role, advising on slope stability and foundation design, adapting to the unpredictable Himalayan geology with a 'design-as-you-go' approach. A newly-inaugurated Vande Bharat Express train crosses the Chenab Bridge, in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (PTI Photo) Technological and Safety FeaturesThe bridge's construction used the world's tallest crossbar cable cranes and specialized heavy techniques were employed for the arch erection, with both banks gradually building towards the centre until the arch was joined at the crown in April 2021—a moment of triumph for the protect against corrosion, a special paint with a 15-year lifespan was applied, far exceeding the standard for Indian railway bridges. An advanced online monitoring and warning system ensures passenger safety, and aerial security measures are in place to safeguard the a projected lifespan of 120 years, the Chenab bridge stands as a symbol of India's resolve to conquer its most formidable challenges with ingenuity and courage. The project's success is a tribute to the collaboration of Indian and international experts, and a beacon of progress for the nation's infrastructure InMust Watch
Mint
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Anand Mahindra's Monday Motivation: Dr G Madhavi Latha, engineer behind Chenab Rail Bridge
Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group, said the engineer behind the world's highest railway bridge – Chenab Rail Bridge, Dr G Madhavi Latha, is his Monday Motivation. Highlighting her other accomplishments, Mahindra said Dr Latha is a professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. 'An accomplished geotechnical engineer and Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, she played a pivotal role in the construction of the Chenab Railway Bridge. A commitment that she fulfilled over 17 years,' he wrote in a tweet. 'Dr. G. Madhavi Latha Garu is my Monday Motivation,' he added. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has also congratulated Dr Latha for her 17 years of dedication and sacrifice in building the bridge. 'Another Telugu daughter has made India proud! I salute Professor G. Madhavi Latha Garu, one of the brilliant minds behind the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River, inaugurated by Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji on June 6,' he wrote in a tweet. He added: 'Hailing from a small village in Andhra Pradesh, she dedicated 17 years of hard work and sacrifice to build this architectural marvel for the nation.' Dr G Madhavi Latha is a professor of civil engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. She worked on the project for 17 years, from 2005, shortly after joining IISc, to 2022. 'Working on this project has been an experience of a lifetime,' Latha recently said in an interview with The Indian Express. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chenab bridge last week. It is the world's highest railway arch bridge. The architectural marvel, Chenab Rail Bridge, is 359 metres above the river. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions. The bridge will enhance connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. It will officially connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India via rail for the first time in history. The Vande Bharat Express train moving on the bridge takes about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing the existing travel time by two to three hours. PM Modi on Friday flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, directly connecting the Jammu division with Kashmir. This marks a major milestone in Jammu and Kashmir's railway connectivity. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Anji Khad Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. He also dedicated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project to the nation. The 272-km-long USBRL project, which includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges, was constructed with an estimated ₹ 43,780 crore.
India.com
2 days ago
- Science
- India.com
Meet Woman Who Played Important Role In Construction Of Chenab Bridge - IISc Professor, She Is...
photoDetails english Updated:Jun 08, 2025, 12:19 PM IST Chenab Bridge 1 / 13 The World's Highest Railway Bridge spans the Chenab River at a height of 359 m (1,178 ft) above the river, which is 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Credit: ANI) Inauguration By PM Modi 2 / 13 PM Modi on Friday (June 6) inaugurated the Chenab Bridge. (Credit: ANI) The Woman Behind The Bridge 3 / 13 In a post on X, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, wrote, "We are proud of Prof Madhavi Latha & her team's contribution to the #ChenabBridge inaugurated by Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi." (Credit: @iiscbangalore/ X) Madhavi Latha's Contribution 4 / 13 IISc Bangalore further stated that Dr. Madhavi Latha's team worked on the stability of slopes, design and construction of foundations, "design of slope stabilisation systems, incl. rock anchors to withstand hazards," the post added. Madhavi Latha's Education 5 / 13 Dr. G Madhavi Latha, who played an important role in the Chenba Bridge Project, earned her in Civil Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in 1992. She concluded her in Geotechnical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal in 1995. Lastly, she got her Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras in 2000. (Credit: ANI) Gold Medal In... 6 / 13 Dr. G Madhavi Latha bagged the Gold Medal in Civil Engineering in her (Credit: ANI) Madhavi Latha's Awards 7 / 13 According to the official website of IISc Dr. G Madhavi Latha received "Best Paper Award for the paper "Geocell supported Embankments" in National Seminar on Ground Improvement Methods, NIT Warangal" in 1998. On the other hand, she was listed in the Top 75 Women in STEAM of India in 2022. In 2021, she was awarded the Best Woman Geotechnical Researcher by the Indian Geotechnical Society. (Credit: ANI) Role In World's Highest Bridge 8 / 13 Dr. G Madhavi Latha played a key role in the planning, design, and construction of the Chenab Bridge. She was the Geotechnical Consultant to the World's Highest Railway Bridge across the Chenab River. (Credit: ANI) Woman In Science 9 / 13 In a section named 'Women in Science', the IISc's Website mentions that the most fulfilling thing about a life in science, according to Dr. G Madhavi Latha, is "seeing your own innovative designs come to life and serve the society is the most fulfilling aspect of life in science. It makes life interesting, adventurous and worth the hardships." (Credit: ANI) Madhavi Latha At IISc 10 / 13 At present, Dr. G Madhavi Latha is a HAG professor at IISc and has been associated with the institute for many years. Previously, she was associated with IIT Guwahati as an Assistant Professor for over a year. (Credit: ANI) Madhavi Latha Wanted To Become... 11 / 13 In the 'Women in Science', Dr. G Madhavi Latha said, "My childhood dream was to become a doctor. I was not supported by my family to pursue that dream. During my B. Tech. days, I was told by all my teachers that I will become a good researcher. However, my true passion for scientific research was realized during my M. Tech. days." (Credit: ANI) Chenab Bridge Salient Feature 12 / 13 The arch bridge between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir is 1,178 feet above the riverbed, forming a crucial link from Katra to Banihal. It is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL). (Credit: ANI) Lifespan of Chenab Bridge 13 / 13 The Chenab Bridge will be able to withstand winds with speeds up to 260 kmph and will have a lifespan of 120 years. (Credit: ANI)
The Print
2 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Srinagar train was decades in the making. It's set to transform security, trade, identity
From Jammu through Chenani and then over the windswept, 2,382-metre Banihall Pass, Forbes, Forbes, Campbell & Co.'s engineers proposed a 150-kilometre ropeway to haul timber and iron, live animals, fruits, and vegetables. Linked to a railway line running from Srinagar to Shahabad in south Kashmir's Dooru, the project would connect Kashmir's agrarian markets to the industrial powerhouses of India. And yet, those single-spaced pages were precisely that, a proposal to create the impossible from iron and rock. The neat-blue typewritten manuscript from Forbes, Forbes, Campbell & Co. of Karachi arrived on the desk of Maharaja Pratap Singh of Kashmir, proposing an improbable adventure. The oldest corporate conglomerate in India, the grandees at Forbes were practical men, not given to allowing their imaginations excessive rein. Their company had grown cotton in Lyallpur, built railway lines that cut through Sindh and Mirpur, operated fleets out of Manchester, and served as bankers to the imperial government of Bombay, which later became the State Bank of India. Fantasies were not among their many lines of business. Like so many impossible ideas, that dream was realised last week when the first train linking Katra with Srinagar traversed the Chenab Bridge, hanging 359 metres over raging waters below—the result of seventeen years of work led by the Indian Institute of Science engineering professor G Madhavi Latha—and then headed through the brand-new Banihal Tunnel. Geography, the engineers of the age of industry at Forbes, Forbes and Campbell had, however, taught Kashmir's rulers, is not a fait-accompli. Train lines, roads, tunnels and rivers can all be transformed through technology to build new relationships between peoples and economies. From 1921 onward, Maharaja Pratap Singh, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, his successors HD Deve Gowda, Inder Kumar Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Manmohan Singh all contributed to the transformation of the geographic relationship Kashmir has with the rest of India—culminating in the triumph that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now presided over. Also read: Not a seat left vacant as J&K's all-new Vande Bharat makes first journey from Katra to Srinagar A turn to roads For most of the nineteenth century, the fastest way from Srinagar to Delhi was a rutted cart road over the Banihal Pass. 'This route is reserved by HH Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, and no visitor can travel this way without his express permission,' sourly recorded Pratap Singh's advisor, Major-General Roul, the Marquis of Bourbel. 'When the letter is given, the traveller should arrange for the through transport of his camp and baggage from Jammu to Islamabad [Anantnag] otherwise much trouble and difficulty may be felt, the local coolies frequently putting down their loads on the roadside and running away.' This ought to have been no surprise, of course: The labourers were slaves, forced to labour for the crown for parts of the year. A number of ambitious railway projects were brought to the table in the late nineteenth century, but without success. SR Scott Stratten & Co. proposed, in 1898, to conduct surveys and execute the project. Engineer DA Adams proposed electric engines, but it was thought infeasible because of the elevations he proposed to traverse. In 1902, WJ Weightman suggested building a railway line along the Jhelum River. The First World War, though, put an end to these explorations. For the most part, passengers and goods from the Kashmir Valley used the metalled and well-bridged road running through Pattan and Baramulla and through Kohala to the town of Jhelum in northern Punjab. The route was designed and delivered by Charles Spedding and his company Spedding & Co., who also built a road through the mountains linking Srinagar to the monarchy's furthest outpost in Gilgit. The Baramulla-Jhelum road, American explorer Ellsworth Huntington reported in 1906, was the only one capable of bearing wheeled traffic. 'The roads are terrible,' Huntington complained, 'and as outside traffic is largely shut out by the mountains, beasts of burden are rare, wheeled vehicles are practically confined to the single new thoroughfare down the Jhelum, and traffic is carried on in boats, the loads being usually carried for short distances on men's backs.' Why was this so? Through earlier centuries, historian Parvez Ahmad writes, Kashmir's trade relations focussed on markets in Central Asia, such as Samarkand, Kashgar, Bukhara, Khurasan and Yarkand. The Mughal invasion of 1586 led to the formation of linkages between Kashmiri traders and markets in the plains of Punjab and beyond. The brief period of Afghan rule, from 1753 to 1819, saw this trade collapse. However, the rise of the Dogra monarchy in 1819 led to further evolution in trade with the plains. Led by the Kashmiri Pandit Laxman Joo Tickoo, the first qualified engineer in the state, the Maharaja also decided to develop the Banihal Cart Road as a commercial axis. The project included a tunnel at Banihal, which reduced some of the road's worst vulnerabilities to weather and made it possible for trucks to cross the pass into Jammu and on to Pathankot. There is no evidence in the historical record that the Maharaja had strategic considerations on his mind, but the Dogra state now had a second, fateful highway curling through its territories. The expansion of road and rail projects needed money, and the monarchy didn't have it. The revenues of Rs 27.7 million in 1939 had a substantial amount of Rs 4 million deducted by the Maharaja and his private departments. Another Rs 5 million was spent on what was to prove a woefully underequipped army. Little was left for infrastructure. In 1947, the Maharaja's successor, Hari Singh, fled Srinagar as his army collapsed in the face of an invasion by Pakistani irregulars. Indian troops were able to use this road to support Indian Army special forces who had been airdropped to save the state. A blueprint for freedom From the 1930s, the economist and political activist Prithvi Nath Dhar—later to head Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's secretariat—had begun to think through what Kashmir's accession to India might look like. The one possible rail line, he wrote in a 1951 note, would have been through Banihal, as the Forbes, Forbes, Campbell & Co. report had made clear. 'Thus, if Kashmir develops her railway communications, a much closer integration with India will be possible, and her comparative isolation, brought about by the high mountain ranges of the Himalayas, broken.' The technology and resources of the time, though, meant a project of this kind just wasn't feasible. The Government focussed, instead, on boring a new tunnel to replace Laxman Joo's old one, and work was completed in 1956. The Army also invested in upgrading the cart road to one that met the needs of the giant logistical chain leading up to what was then called the Ceasefire Line. Even more important, though, was Dhar's revelation that the severance of trade links with Panjab would have few consequences—if alternative routes were available. Trade with Panjab, through hubs like Lahore, rose both in volume and value from Rs 40,442 in 1900-01 to Rs 1,53,35,877 in 1925-26. This was mainly composed of finished cotton, dyes, gunny bags, liquor, metals, oils, grain, tea, and tobacco. To Punjab, Kashmir sent live animals, timber, herbal drugs, fruits, vegetables, pulses, hides and skins, as well as opium and charas—then traded legally. For Dhar, it seemed that the agricultural economy of Kashmir and the industrial economy of India complemented each other perfectly. Much of what Kashmir needed was just being routed through Punjab, not made there. Linking Kashmir to the broader Indian market would yield substantial profits for its farmers. All that was needed was a secure logistical system. Kashmir had to be related to India with iron and concrete, not soldiers and bullets. Also read: India needs to focus on winning in Kashmir, not fighting Pakistan The final push The idea of a railroad, though, never quite went away. In this, there was remarkable strategic coherence that cut across successive governments. Prime Minister Deve Gowda laid a foundation stone for the railway line in 1996, at a time when it seemed impossible to assemble workers and protect them from assault. A year later, Prime Minister IK Gujral laid another foundation stone. In 2002, the project was declared one of national importance, freeing it from the limitations of the railway's budget. The big impacts of the railway line, when it is fully functional, will be visible in cities across India: Fruit will be transported far more cheaply and efficiently, the movement of ghee and spices like saffron will be better organised, and new Kashmiri products like high-end cheese will find markets. Less noticed, the compression of space will bring about profound cultural changes. The new train will enable easy day trips between Kashmir and Jammu, two cities divided not only by religion, ethnicity, and culture but also by the bitter history of Partition and the Pir Panjal Mountain range. The impact of this cultural change ought not to be underestimated—because we know that's just what happened earlier. Travelling on the new highway their father had built, Laxman Joo Tickoo's sons went to Mumbai to learn engineering. They discovered new ideas instead. Lambodar Nath Tickoo, the eldest son, decided to become a tailor and set up a high-end bespoke business in Srinagar. Local Pandit conservatives derided the young rebel for engaging in work below his caste status—but the profits from Navyug Tailors soon silenced the critics. Kashmir's railway story reveals essential aspects of what India has achieved in the state, which often receives insufficient attention. Instead of developing its rail network, Pakistan currently lacks a single electrified line, which reduces the efficiency of its system. Large numbers of railway stations in the country's North-West have simply been abandoned. Islamabad also failed to push through a railway line to Kandahar and the north, which would have enabled it to dominate trade in parts of Central Asia. The war India really needs to win is to make Kashmir's people secure, prosperous partners in the project of India. To this end, each journey on the new train will bring us just a little closer. Praveen Swami is contributing editor at ThePrint. His X handle is @praveenswami. Views are personal. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)
