MP: Rs 7.78 Crore Bridge Collapses 3 Months After Construction Due To Heavy Rainfall
Image Credits: Times Of India
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A newly constructed bridge on river Kuno in Madhya Pradesh collapsed on Saturday evening after the area’s first heavy rain this year triggered a flood in the river. The bridge was constructed at a total cost of Rs 7.78 crore and was inaugurated on July 29 by Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

According to Times Now, the minister had dedicated the bridge to the people during its inauguration, saying, “This project will play an important role in connecting Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. It shows our government’s commitment and readiness towards the development of Madhya Pradesh.”

However, a 500m long portion of the bridge that was being touted as the ‘Vikas model’ for the state was washed away in the heavy rains in the Phori tehsil of Shivpuri district of the state, barely three months after its inauguration.


Damage caused by floods

According to The Times of India, all the rivers in the Shivpuri district and nearby Sheopur district, including Kuno, Chambal and Seep, were overflowing due to the torrential rains in the region. Sheopur especially recorded 120mm of rainfall over the weekend, the highest amount of rainfall in the past ten years.

The overflowing Kuno washed away a long patch of road connecting the two districts, creating potholes up to two feet in size. This road is reported to have been constructed earlier this year. More than 500 small houses in the rural areas in Shivpuri district collapsed in the ensuing floods. A one-year-old toddler was presumed dead after the child got washed away in a swollen waterbody. Over 150 people were rescued by the authorities from several villages in the affected districts on Saturday.

The water has reportedly started to recede after the rainfall stopped on Sunday.


The response by authorities

District Collector Shilpi Gupta told TOI, “Perhaps it was constructed by the PWD (Public Works Department). I will get a detailed report on Monday and I would recommend an inquiry.”

Local BJP MLA Prahalad Bharti is known to have raised the issue of inferior quality construction in the Legislative Assembly of the state. However, in regards to the incident, he has been reportedly guarded in his statements, saying the villagers had also raised the issue of inferior quality construction and were concerned about the future.

Bharti claimed that the bridge collapsed because Kuno was flowing four feet above the bridge after the heavy rainfall. “Though only one village of my constituency was affected due to the incident, I still want an inquiry to know the reasons behind the collapse,” Bharti told TOI.


The Logical Indian Take

Corruption remains deeply rooted in our system despite the tall claims of our leaders. The inquiries into such incidents have rarely produced accountability because the responsibility of overseeing contractors gets lost in bureaucracy. No matter what the situation is, it is always the poor who suffer. The only solution here is strict laws and stricter enforcement to prevent such things from happening.


Also Read: Delhi: Building Collapsed In 2010 Killed 70, 8 Yrs Later Fine Of Just Rs 21,000 Imposed

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Editor : The Logical Indian

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