Mumbai-Goa highway bridge collapse shows our crumbling infrastructure
Site of bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa highway. Photo: ANI
Up to 22 people are missing after a bridge collapsed on the Mumbai-Goa highway early morning on Wednesday.
At least two buses and some other vehicles are reported to have been swept away in the collapse. Search operations started only in the morning due to low visibility.
#WATCH: NDRF team reaches site of bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa highway in Raigad to carry out search operations https://t.co/aB7MNLnRul
— ANI (@ANI_news) August 3, 2016
An NDRF team from Pune, along with an ICG Chetak helicopter, is conducting the search and rescue operations.
#First visuals: NDRF team carrying out search & rescue ops at the site of bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa highway pic.twitter.com/IlfA0sBpER
— ANI (@ANI_news) August 3, 2016
Visuals of Indian Navy aircraft carrying out search operations at the site of bridge collapse in Raigad (Maharashtra) pic.twitter.com/RohUzoDwru
— ANI (@ANI_news) August 3, 2016
The thing is that incidents like these happen constantly in India. We all know about the obvious problems caused by rains as well as the horrible condition of roads and drainage systems in even India's most important cities.
Rain also tends to destroy/sweep away poorly made constructions.
In the last four days, 30 people have died and at least 40 injured due to collapsed buildings in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Junaghadh and Bhiwandi near Mumbai. And these are the incidents which were widely reported as they took place in cities which are heavily covered by the media. What about places we don't even know about? Why the ignorance about the disastrous collapse in Kolkata which resulted in 27 deaths and over 80 injuries?
The politicians are busy playing the blame game.
BJP, Congress vs AAP in New Delhi, everyone vs BJP in Maharashtra, etc. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "The primary reason (for the collapse) seems to be high pressure caused due to flooding of the river Savitri due to heavy rains in the catchment of Mahabaleshwar. There were two parallel bridges, one new and the other constructed during the British era. The old one collapsed."
 |
| Indian Navy aircraft carry out search operations at the site of bridge collapse in Raigad. Photo: ANI |
Great!
Isn't it the job of the government to repair bridges which carry heavy traffic? Ensure regular maintainence? Who is responsible for the deaths of these people?
No one knows and no one will care. Families will be paid and it'll be forgotten — till the next building collapses.
The question is, why should they be collapsing at all?