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Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
New two-lane bridge near Mujpur village in 18 months, Gujarat govt starts process
The Gujarat government has started the process to build a new two-lane high level bridge on Mahi river near Mujpur village in Vadodara district's Padra taluka at a cost of Rs 212 crore, stated an official release on Sunday. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had given an in-principle approval to build the bridge in November 2024 and the tendering process has begun to build the bridge in 18 months, the release added. The new bridge, which will connect Padra to Anklav, will stand parallel to the recently collapsed bridge in which at least 20 people were killed. The government on Sunday also said that it has disbursed financial aid to the victims and the relatives of the deceased in the bridge collapse incident. Meanwhile search continued for the fifth day for 22-year-old Vikram Padhiyar from Narsingpura village of Anklav taluka who was on his way to Padra town with his friend Rajesh Chavda, where both worked in an electrical unit when their motorbike fell off the broken bridge. Chavda's body has been found while there is no trace of Padhiyar yet. The release stated, 'A detailed project report was recently prepared by the Roads & Buildings Department after conducting a survey. And it was given an in-principle approval by the Chief Minister.' 'During this time, owing to the bridge collapse accident, issues of connecting central Gujarat with Saurashtra, employment of locals and commuting of students had cropped up. In view of that, the CM has given instructions to immediately build the bridge,' it also stated. As explained by Superintending Engineer of the Roads and Buildings Department, N V Rathva, the existing two-lane Mujpur approach road will be widened to a 7-metre four-lane road, the release stated. The 4.2 km stretch from the highway to the bridge will also be expanded to four lanes. The state government also said that it disbursed financial aid worth Rs 62 lakh to families of the deceased and the victims of the Gambhira bridge collapse. An official release by the government read: 'The State Government…has extended compassionate support to the families affected and injured in the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge accident. As part of the announced financial assistance, cheques totalling Rs 62 lakh were distributed today. This includes Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured, handed over by MP Jasubhai Rathva and MLA Shri Chaitanyasinh Zala.' It added, 'Considering the seriousness of the incident, this aid was approved immediately and disbursed without delay. As per the current list, cheques totaling Rs 62 lakh have been distributed, covering four injured individuals and the families of 15 deceased.' With the state authorities having confirmed 20 deaths, one person, identified as Vikram Padhiyar, remained missing as on Sunday. Padhiyar had set out on a motorbike with his cousin Rajesh Chavda to their workplace in Padra. Chavda's body was found. Following the tragedy, four engineers of the Roads and Buildings Department were suspended.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Gujarat bridge collapse: Search for lone missing person continues in Mahisagar River
Vadodara, The search operation to trace one man still missing in the bridge collapse incident, in which 20 people have lost their lives, continued in the Mahisagar River in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Sunday, officials said. Gujarat bridge collapse: Search for lone missing person continues in Mahisagar River Efforts are on to trace Vikram Padhiyar , a resident of Narsinghpur village in Anand district and employee of a private company, they said. Several vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar River after a segment of the 40-year-old bridge near Gambhira village, connecting Anand and Vadodara districts, collapsed on Wednesday. A search to locate Padhiyar on Saturday yielded no result, and attempts were underway to trace him on both the upstream and downstream of the river, an official from the Vadodara district administration said. He said the rescue teams are conducting searches with rubber boats and other necessary equipment, and the wreckage of the small vehicles was also salvaged. "Near Mujpur village, where this incident took place, the Mahisagar River flows in both directions. During high tide, the water flows towards the Wahara creek, and during low tide, it flows towards the sea. Hence, searches are being carried out in both directions, upstream and downstream," the official said. The National Disaster Response Force , State Disaster Response Force , and other agencies are involved in the search. Efforts were also being made to find out if anyone else other than Padhiyar was trapped under the large slab that collapsed and fell into the river, the official said. Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory and Regional Transport Office inspected the site on Saturday to help in the police investigation. Following the accident, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel suspended four engineers from the state Roads and Buildings Department. Minister Rushikesh Patel has said that a high-level probe committee of the state's roads and buildings department will submit a detailed report in 30 days. Out of the 7,000 bridges in the state that have been surveyed, the government has identified those that need repairs or require construction of a new one, he has said. Gujarat has witnessed six incidents of bridge collapse since 2021. In December 2021, a slab collapsed during the construction of the Mumatpura flyover on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city. Nobody was injured in the incident. In October 2022, as many as 135 persons were killed when a British-era suspension bridge over the Machchhu River in Morbi town collapsed. In June 2023, a newly built bridge on the Mindhola River in the Tapi district collapsed. No one was hurt in the accident. In September 2023, four persons were injured after a portion of an old bridge on the Bhogavo River in Surendranagar district collapsed when a 40-tonne dumper was navigating it near Wadhwan city. In October 2023, two persons sitting in an autorickshaw died after six concrete girders or slabs, which were installed on the pillars of an under-construction bridge near the RTO Circle in Palanpur town of Banaskantha, collapsed. In August 2024, a small bridge on the Bhogavo River, connecting Habiyasar village with Chotila town in Surendranagar district, collapsed after a sudden rise in water following discharge from an overflowing dam. No casualties were reported in the incident. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
