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.
Speaking at a national conference of Sports Ministers of the States and UTs here in Manipur capital, which was presided by Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, Meet Hayer said Punjab has not hosted any edition of National Games or Khelo India Games since 2001.
A total of 10,827 recoveries in the last 24 hours increased the total recoveries to 4,42,61,476. The daily positivity rate is 5.46 per cent) and the weekly positivity rate stands at 5.32 per cent.
The court had convicted Gandhi on March 23 for his remarks made during an election rally in Kolar in April 2019, where he had said that "all people with the Modi surname are thieves". The court sentenced him to two years in prison and he was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha the next day.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said that the people of Karnataka are going to "bless" the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the upcoming Assembly elections. He was speaking to reporters after participating in the filing of nomination by Arjun Halagigoudar, AAP candidate for the Terdal constituency.
Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for the AAP leader, submitted before the bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma that all the other accused in the CBI case have been released on bail except Sisodia. He also said that the probe agency has no proof to show that the AAP leader has tampered with evidence.
"At around 3 p.m., one vehicle of the Indian Army, while moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in Poonch district, caught fire. Further details are being ascertained," Lt. Col. Devender Anand said in a statement.
