AHMEDABAD: Yet another bridge collapse in Gujarat has jolted the state, exposing deep-rooted negligence and crumbling infrastructure. The 40 year-old Gambhira Bridge in Vadodara district fell apart early Wednesday, dragging multiple vehicles into the Mahisagar River. While the government rushes to give reassurances, a haunting question persists—how many tragedies will it take before accountability replaces apathy?Gambhira Bridge Collapse: 9 Dead, 9 RescuedThe Gambhira Bridge, connecting Central Gujarat to Saurashtra via Padra taluka in Vadodara district, collapsed early Wednesday morning in Mujpur Nazir. The bridge, known to be in a dilapidated condition for years, finally gave way dragging down two trucks, a pickup van, an auto-rickshaw, and an Eco car into the swollen Mahisagar River.Rescue teams pulled out nine bodies, while nine others were rescued alive. The bridge had shown warning signs of structural decay, yet no action was taken to shut it down or carry out urgent repairs.Public Fury Grows: Who Will Be Held Responsible?The tragedy has sparked public outrage. Citizens are questioning why the bridge was not closed despite its poor condition. Why are officials always reactive instead of proactive? Time and again, bridges across Gujarat have collapsed, and yet, the cycle of negligence, empty promises, and lack of accountability continues. Assurances after each disaster have failed to turn into meaningful reforms or penalties for those responsible.Gujarat’s Shameful Bridge Collapse Timeline Hatkeshwar Bridge, Ahmedabad : Built to Last 100 Years, Failed in 5. Constructed in 2017 at a cost of Rs 40 crore, the Hatkeshwar Bridge was deemed structurally unsound in under four years. Shockingly, AMC floated a tender to demolish a bridge that was supposed to last a century.Mumtapura Bridge, Ahmedabad : On December 21, 2021, a section of the Mumtapura Bridge caved in, raising serious questions about the project company. Thankfully, the collapse didn’t claim lives, but it intensified the fear surrounding Gujarat’s infrastructure.Halvad Bridge, Morbi – New But Unreliable:A bridge connecting New Koiba to Old Koiba collapsed on August 26, 2024—just a year after it was built. Heavy rains washed away the structure, exposing poor construction quality.Morbi Suspension Bridge: Gujarat’s Darkest Day. On October 30, 2022, a British-era suspension bridge over the Machhu River collapsed, killing 141 people. The bridge had reopened just four days prior after repairs. It was designed for 125 people but had over 500 on it.Metro Flyover, Surat : Cracked Before InaugurationA section of the metro flyover in Saroli, Surat, Cracked even before being inaugurated. Cracks in the slab were ignored until it was too late. The bridge gave way during metro construction work.Ambedkar Bridge, Mehsana: Repeated Pleas IgnoredDespite repeated requests for repair, the Ambedkar Bridge connecting Mehsana-Visnagar ring road’s One part sunk on February 14’ 2024. Built in 2014, it had structural issues that were never addressed. Habiasar Bridge, Chotila : Heavy Rains Take It DownA bridge near Habiasar village in Surendranagar district collapsed during heavy rain. It connected over five villages. Luckily, the road was closed to traffic at the time.Under-Construction Flyover, Palanpur : Girder Collapse Kills OneOn October 23, 2023, two girders of an under-construction overbridge near the Palanpur RTO Circle broke. A rickshaw driver lost his life, and two others were injured.Bamangam-Parij Bridge, Kheda : Old Warnings, Zero ActionThe bridge connecting Baman and Parij collapsed on October 4, 2023. Villagers had raised alarms about its condition long ago. No one was on the bridge at the time, narrowly avoiding tragedy.Dhandhusar Bridge, Junagadh : 1975 Construction Falls ApartA part of the 45-year-old Dhandhusar bridge over the Uben River collapsed in 2023. Local connectivity took a major hit, forcing people into long detours and hardship.Rajkot’s Madhapar Chowk Pier Collapse – Workers InjuredOn January 25, 2022, a pier under construction at Madhapar Chowk caved in, injuring two workers. The incident happened during concrete capping work.Janada Bridge, Botad – Built in Lakhs, Collapsed in Three YearsIn Botad’s Janada village, a bridge over the Patlia River collapsed during monsoon 2023. Built just three years ago, it couldn’t withstand seasonal rains.Khari River Bridge, Mehsana Bypass – One part sunk in 2020A bridge constructed over the Khari River on the Mehsana Bypass, built at a cost of crores, crumbled in just six years. The 2020 sunk was one of the early warnings of the ongoing infrastructure crisis.Other Notable Incidents:Singhrot, Vadodara (2023) – Another bridge collapse with public uproar.Nandelav Bridge, Bharuch (June 2022) – Under-construction bridge collapsed; people miraculously survived.Ajidem Intersection, Rajkot (2020) – Bridge collapse with no casualties.Satodak Village, Rajkot (2019) – Fatal structural failure.Peapok Flyover, Surat (2019) – Yet another collapse highlighting contractor failure.Conclusion: Decay, Death, and DenialThe recurring collapse of bridges—whether newly built or aged—reveals a systemic failure in Gujarat’s infrastructure governance. Contractors cut corners, tenders are mishandled, warnings go unheeded, and officials continue to pass the buck. Behind every collapsed structure is a trail of ignored complaints, wasted taxpayer money, and shattered families. Unless real accountability is enforced and urgent structural audits conducted, Gambhira will not be the last bridge to fall—and Gujarat will keep mourning preventable deaths.
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