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Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Gujarat bridge collapse: Authorities begin operation to retrieve truck from Gambhira bridge
Authorities on Tuesday launched a rescue operation to retrieve a truck stuck on the Gambhira bridge in Gujarat's Anand district , weeks after the bridge collapsed on July 9, claiming over twenty lives. Anand Collector Praveen Chaudhary said the operation posed significant challenges due to the complex engineering and safety aspects involved. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Speaking to ANI, Chaudhary said, "It was difficult to rescue the engineering and safety aspects were the entire truck rescue operation is being carried out by the Vishwakarma Group of Porbandar... The team will use the main hydraulic stand jack and four pulling trucks...". He further stated that the setup to rescue the truck is almost complete, and authorities are prioritising safety and ensuring no lapses occur in the process. "A team of 50-60 people from the Vishwakarma group from Porbandar are working. Their priority is safety, as the operation has to be done from 900 meters away. It is expected that the truck will be rescued in the coming 2-3 days", the Collector added. Live Events Earlier, on July 26, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited Anand to meet the families of the victims who lost their lives in the bridge collapse. Meanwhile, following the Gambhira bridge tragedy, the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) initiated a comprehensive inspection of all bridges under its jurisdiction as a precautionary measure. A section of the Gambhira bridge, which connects Vadodara and Anand, collapsed into the Mahisagar river on July 9, killing 20 and injuring several others. Following the incident, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel ordered a high-level inquiry into the recent bridge collapse incident.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Removal of dangling tanker to take 3 days
Vadodara: The final countdown for the removal of the tanker — precariously perched on the broken slab of the Gambhira bridge over the Mahi river — began on Monday morning, 27 days after the bridge collapsed, killing 21 people. Large numbers of police personnel were deployed on roads leading to the bridge on Monday. The operation to salvage the tanker using high-pressure air bags was launched on Friday, after a 50-member team from Porbandar-based Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC) arrived in Anand district. Anand collector Praveen Chaudhary said that the operation is expected to be completed in two or three days. "The agency that has the expertise for this operation has set up its field headquarters 900 metres away from the bridge, from where the operation will be managed. The agency will use sophisticated techniques and specialized equipment to extricate the truck," he said, adding that CCTV cameras have also been placed at several locations to monitor movements at the site. All human movement on the stretch has been halted. "The truck will be safely removed using equipment such as high-pressure pneumatic bags, a hydraulic strand jack and engineered cantilevers. The operation will be carried out to ensure no harm comes to people or the bridge structure," Chaudhary said, adding that ample precautions are being taken as the structural stability of the bridge is compromised. On Monday, marine air bags (pneumatic roller bags, sometimes called balloons), which are typically used to launch ships and lift vessels in shallow water, were placed near the tanker. These bags will be inflated under the truck to lift it from its current position, which is tilted towards the river 50 feet below. The cantilevers will be used to align the vehicle with the bridge, and a strand jack will be used to pull the truck out.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Why ship-launching equipment is being deployed to remove tanker dangling on Vadodara bridge 3 weeks after collapse that killed 21
For the last three weeks, a chemical tanker has been precariously dangling on a fragment of the collapsed section of Mujpur-Gambhira bridge in Vadodara – a grim reminder of the tragedy that left 21 people, a number of them on their way to work, dead on July 9. On Friday night, though, work began to remove the heavy vehicle from the accident site. Given the vulnerable state of the bridge, the authorities have sought help from a Porbandar-based marine salvage firm in this regard. Closely associated with the Indian Coast Guard, the company is planning to deploy equipment used for ship launching and lifting vessels in shallow water for inspection. Officials said the equipment, including pneumatic roller bags, hydraulic strand jacks and horizontal cantilevers, will be deployed at a distance from the site given that the 'strength and stability' of the entire bridge structure is compromised. The task is going to take a few more days, authorities in Anand said, expressing hope that the tanker will be retrieved and handed over to its owner by next week, on Thursday. Anand District Collector Praveen Chaudhary told The Indian Express that a company called Marine Emergency Response Centre, Vishwakarma, has been roped in to assist in salvaging the tanker, which has been leaning over a 50-metre drop from the slab level of the remaining structure of the bridge. Experts from the company that arrived in Anand district on Friday, began preparing to install salvage equipment to be able to pull out the tanker from the bridge, said officials. Chaudhary said, 'The company has explained to us that it will deploy pneumatic roller bags (marine airbags), which are used for ship launching and lifting vessels in shallow water for inspection. The experts will place the heavy duty rubber bags under the truck to lift it up from its current tilting position. An engineered horizontal cantilever will be used to steer the vehicle in alignment to the bridge and a horizontal driven strand jack will be used for the calibrated pulling of the truck from the spot…' Officials said the tanker, which was being used to transport Hydrochloric Acid, had been left untouched so far since rescue operations were underway under the collapsed segment. The contents of the vehicle, though, had been emptied out. Following several petitions by the owner of the vehicle, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, earlier this week, had ordered the administration to retrieve the vehicle and hand it over to the owner. Meanwhile, a Special investigation Team (SIT) of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has been formed to probe the assets of the four engineers of the Roads & Buildings (R&B) department as well as a retired official, who were suspended following the collapse of the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge on July 9. The SIT will include Joint Director Makrand Chauhan, Deputy Director, ACB, PH Bhesania as well as four police inspectors of the anti-graft agency. As many as 21 persons were killed when the bridge collapsed on the morning of July 9. A segment of the bridge fell into the Mahisagar river, taking down two trucks, as many pick-up vans, an auto-rickshaw and at least three motorcycles with it. Of the 21 deceased persons, bodies of only 20 were recovered by teams of the fire department as well as SDRF and NDRF while one body is yet to be found. Three persons survived the incident with injuries.
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
After Gambhira bridge collapse, boat ban maroons commuters
Vadodara: Until last week, Ghanshyam Padhiyar, a resident of Bamangam village in Anand's Anklav taluka, would cross the Mahi by boat to get to his factory at Ekalbara village in Padra taluka of Vadodara. Despite the risks involved, Padhiyar would make the crossing on boats run by local fishermen, as this was his best option after the collapse of the Gambhira bridge on July 9, which killed 20 people. The bridge over the Mahi was not only a link between central Gujarat and Saurashtra, but also the shortest route for people living in villages along the boundary between Anand and Vadodara districts to travel from one to the other. Now, scores of such villagers, factory workers and farm labourers are stranded, as all boat crossings have been stopped with immediate effect, in keeping with directives from Anand district collector Praveen Chaudhary. Anand district collector Praveen Chaudhary cited the new boating regulations, introduced by the Gujarat govt last year after the Harni Lake boat capsize in Vadodara on Jan 18, 2024, which killed 12 schoolchildren and two teachers during a school picnic. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Flexible Program BITS Pilani Digital Apply Now Undo According to the rules, all pleasure craft and boats operating in Gujarat must be registered with the district collector's office. Only after safety inspections by authorized surveyors can boats ferry passengers. "After it came to our notice that people were commuting by boat, I issued directives to police to ensure strict implementation of the rules," said Chaudhary. He said instructions have also been issued to the village panchayats of Bamangam and Gambhira to ensure no lives are put at risk. "It is true that commuters are facing hardships, but with the monsoon and water being released into the Mahi, unauthorized boating is extremely dangerous. We cannot wait for a disaster to happen," Chaudhary said. Padhiyar spoke about his plight. "I used to get to my factory in Ekalbara by the Gambhira bridge. After the collapse, commuting became a challenge. If I take the alternative route, it adds two hours, nearly 45km and Rs 200 in petrol costs. A boat was the best option — it costs Rs 40 for a round trip and I get there on time," he explained. Padhiyar would park his two-wheeler on the Anand side of the river, cross the 700m stretch by boat, and take a rickshaw on the Vadodara side to his factory. Now, villagers like him are urging the state govt to make arrangements by providing safe, regulated boats until the new bridge — as announced by the Gujarat govt — is built. The situation got worse when the Umeta bridge, another key link between Anand and Vadodara districts, was also closed to heavy vehicles due to safety concerns. These vehicles are now being diverted via Vasad, where commuters are facing hardships due to traffic congestion and bad roads. "As many commuters, especially factory workers and students, are struggling and alternative routes are too long, I have asked for the resumption of the Kathana-Vadodara passenger train service, which has been shut since the Covid-19 pandemic," said Anand MP Mitesh Patel. "I have written to Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, highlighting that the train once connected more than 25 villages in Borsad and Anklav talukas. The infrastructure exists — it just needs refurbishment for services to resume," he added.
