2,367 bridges need repairs, government told

Mumbai: The Public Works Department (PWD) of the state government has carried out inspection of 15,535 bridges across the state this year. Out of these, 2,367 bridges have been found in need of repairs. The PWD has issued a circular stating that before the monsoon, structural inspection of all the bridges should be conducted.

The step has been taken in the wake of the recent collapse of bridges in Mahad, Wardha and Mumbai.  Sources in the PWD said that persons would be placed round the clock at submersible bridges, which were prone to flooding.  

The Asian Age has a copy of the circular, which stated that if any untoward incident happened with low-level water bridges, the PWD would be defamed without any reason, hence, more caution should be taken.  

An official of the PWD, requesting anonymity, said, “Before every monsoon and after every monsoon, the PWD conducts an audit of the bridges. If they find something abnormal, they rope in the structural auditor and experts to again carry out an audit.”

As per the availability of funds and on the basis of priority, the bridges will be fixed.

He added, “2,367 bridges have been repaired in the last two years after the incident of the Savitri bridge collapse.”  

A dedicated person would be deployed on site as far as submersible bridges over rivers like the Vaitarna, Vainganga, Wardha and Godavari were concerned to ensure that no traffic was allowed during the monsoon.  

In the event the submersible bridge went under water during the monsoon, the appointed person would inform the transport authorities not to ply on that particular bridge.  

The person will also inform the concerned engineer once the floods recede, so that inspection will be carried out by him in order to certify whether or not the bridge can be opened to traffic.

There are 600 bridges in the state which are submersible. Out of these, 251 bridges are major.