Incomplete bridge crashes on Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi corridor
Darpan News Desk IANS, 09 May, 2023 10:44 AM
Nashik, May 9 (IANS) A portion of an under-construction bridge coming up on the Mumbai-Nagpur Super Expressway in the Ghoti area of Nashik area has crashed, officials said here on Tuesday.
According to a police official, the bridge, which will connect Gangadwadi and Belgaon-Tarhale in the Igatpuri taluka, was being constructed with cranes when it suddenly collapsed around 7.30 p.m on Monday.
There are no casualties in the incident, the work has been stopped, the causes are being checked and the crash site vicinity has been cordoned off, said the official of Ghoti Police Station, declining to be quoted.
The bridge is a link in one of the most difficult terrains on the 701-km long 'Hindu HridaySamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg' Phase I, that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 11, 2022.
The work on the remaining around 181-km long Nashik-Mumbai section is currently being implemented at a fast pace, and the bridge crash is likely to delay the completion of the Rs 55,000-crore mega-project.
The bridge accident has raised questions on the construction quality, processes and materials as well as proper site supervision especially since the HHSBTMSM will reduce the travel time between Mumbai-Nagpur from the current 16 hours to barely 8 hours.
However, the Samruddhi Expressway has already earned the sobriquet of a 'killer highway' with over 95 deaths and more than 300 accidents on the Nagpur-Nashik stretch currently functioning. (IANS - May 4, 2023).
An NGO, Council for Protection of Rights (CPR) Chairman barrister Vinod Tiwari has written to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and others pointing out at the complete lack of 'halts' or other basic amenities and facilities that are leading to accident on the expressway.
He has demanded that the HHSBTMSM be closed for all traffic till all the facilities like drinking water, baths-toilets for men and women, food courts, petrol stations, mini shopping plazas, are provided as promised by the government and travel on it becomes absolutely safe and accident-free for people.
The leader, who complained of uneasiness on Monday night, was taken to hospital at around 8 a.m. this morning, where she was declared brought dead. Sonali Phogat had contested the 2019 Haryana Assembly election from Adampur and lost to Congress candidate Kuldeep Bishnoi.
During investigation, it was found that Swapna is a school dropout but managed to get a degree certificate from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University. Based on the fake certificate and influence of high ranking officials like Sivasankar, she secured a plush job in the IT department which was headed by Vijayan.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) Pankaj Kumar to enhance vigil at the borders of the state for checking smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the border. The Director General had called on the Chief Minister here on July 31.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sukhchain Singh Gill, while addressing his weekly press conference here, said they have recovered 11.73 kg heroin, 20 kg opium, 9 kg ganja, 5.76 quintals of poppy husk, and 28,000 tablets of Pharma opioids, besides recovering Rs 20 lakh drug money after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas.
Addressing a gathering here while handing over appointment letters to the newly recruited 4,358 constables in Punjab Police, the Chief Minister said the state government has conducted the entire recruitment process in a transparent and fair manner.
Amid heightened security to enter Delhi, traffic snarls were reported at the Ghaziabad, Chilla, Singhu, Faridabad and Tikri borders. Delhi Police have put barricades at all these border points and every vehicle entering the national capital city are being checked.
