I really wanted to believe that my two recent posts on India's infrastructure woes, i.e. "India's 90-degree Bridge Becomes A Laughingstock" and "India's Infrastructure Woes" published July 03 and 07 respectively, do not necessarily point to a massive systemic failure.
But I'm forced to do a double take when I read that a bridge had collapsed in Gujarat's Vadodara district in India on Wednesday.
A portion of the Gambhira Bridge gave way and sent a truck and several cars plunging into the Mahisagar River. So far, 20 bodies have been recovered, one person is still missing, and five persons have been rescued, even as Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday suspended four engineers of the state’s roads and buildings department.
And then, I came across another news story in India Today published Thursday that a new flyover in Maharashtra – once promoted as a key solution to traffic congestion in the region – becomes a skidding zone, due to loose gravel, muddy patches, cement spills and unevenly laid tar.
The Palava Bridge located on the Kalyan-Shil Road, was opened to the public on July 04 but was obliged to close within 2 hours of opening due to serious safety issues.
These incidents have, undoubtedly, sparked renewed concerns about India's infrastructure safety. For sure, they do not speak well of the country.
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