TeaThe ‘Gujarat model’ is a narrative that the Bharatiya Janata Party has consistently talked about state-wide highways and high-speed trains across the country in every election.
The Morbi bridge collapse last week left a big hole in this narrative, when the party is trying to sell the Gujarat model to the people of the state, seeking a seventh consecutive term.
Amidst all the buzz of bullet trains, foreign investment and solar villages, this British-era bridge, which was a defining factor for a city known for none other than its watch and ceramics industries, It was practically not cared for.
When the bridge collapsed under the weight of a large crowd on 30 October, Strike At least 135 people, Morbi joins the list of several Indian towns and cities that are making international headlines for all the wrong reasons – bridge collapses, stampedes, train derailments.
And that’s why the Morbi Pul tragedy is ThePrint Newsmaker of the Week.
Read also: TV News calls it a ‘murder’ on Gujarat’s Morbi bridge, many questions and few answers
India’s pathetic record in handling large crowds
The Morbi bridge collapse is another incident that highlights India’s pathetic record in handling large crowds at public places.
We have seen similar tragic incidents like in 2013 stampede 115 killed; 2017 stampede on a narrow foot overbridge at Mumbai’s Elphinstone station, in which 23 people died; 12 people lost their lives in a stampede at Vaishno Devi temple in January this year; and countless other train derailments.
When the Morbi bridge fell 500 to 600 peopleWomen and children, including women, were on the bridge where the access ticket is, meaning that the crowd could easily be controlled by issuing fewer tickets than the bridge’s capacity.
Everyone aboard the bridge was a family enjoying a Sunday evening walk taking in the panoramic view of the Machhu River. At one point, the cable broke, causing people to fall into water 15 to 20 feet deep. survivors have Told The media persons were told stories of how they were hanging on broken wires all their lives and the administration did not reach the spot for rescue work as fast as it should have.
Perhaps that is why the Morbi disaster is an even more regrettable statistic for the governance of India. This has happened in a state that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting as the ideal of Indian development. And this happened at a time when PM is visiting the state continuously, inauguration of new infrastructure works and doling out Funds.
Incidents like the Morbi tragedy also reinforce the Western world’s long-standing prejudice that India is crumbling with its crumbling infrastructure and growing population.
a forgotten engineering marvel
Morbi District Website Lists the suspension bridge over the Machu River as a major tourist destination, calling it an “engineering marvel built at the turn of the century”. It further states that this bridge symbolizes the progressive and scientific nature of the rulers of Morbi. Sir Waghji Thakur, who ruled Morbi till 1922, is said to have Make 230 meter long suspension bridge using the latest technology available in Europe.
The then Governor of Bombay, Richard Temple, inaugurated the Morbi Bridge in 1879.
Despite the historical importance of the bridge, it was probably not properly taken care of by the civic authorities.
The Morbi civic body awarded the contract for the maintenance of the bridge without inviting tenders and the Orewa group, which got the contract, was looking at it as one more. Selfless take risks.
The Orewa Group, traditionally known as watchmakers, began maintenance of the cable-stayed bridge in 2008 and signed a ten-year contract until 2018. In 2020, the company approached Morbi Municipal Council for a fresh 15-year MoU to maintain the bridge. And in March 2022 a contract was signed.
The Orewa group closed the bridge for seven months this year for repairs and renovations, and the company reopened it on October 26, the Gujarati New Year’s day, but without a fitness certificate from the civic body. the company had Told Repairs will last at least eight to ten years, but the police have whips The company told the court that the contractor who was asked to renovate the bridge was not qualified for the work. The police have also pointed out serious lapses in the maintenance of the bridge.
PM Modi visited the accident site on Tuesday and called for a detailed investigation, police have made some arrests and the state government has suspended the chief officer of Morbi municipality. But, above all, India needs to learn something lasting from such incidents that go beyond basic inquiry and action.