A large transportation connectivity that mainly involved Vadodara and Anand abruptly halted after the collapse of the Gambhira Bridge on Thursday, affecting traffic directions and thousands of commuters, as well as good transporters. The bridge lying across the river Gambhira was itself a vital means of transportation in central Gujarat, in the form of how people of the place travelled daily, the business and trade transport and the movement between the districts.
As per the said authorities, part of the bridge collapsed without prior warning, which is why police first sealed the area and stopped all transportation. Luckily, there were no fatalities and major injuries were not recorded, because there were not many in the bridge when the collapse happened.
The local government and police, as well as disaster management teams, were quick to respond to the area to control the situation. The sudden closure diverted traffic using alternate routes, but this has resulted in serious delays, particularly on freight vehicles that transport goods in the industrial zones of Vadodara and the dairy and agriculture cluster of Anand.
Witnesses and other local citizens indicated that a warning of deterioration in the bridge had been evident for months. Although some patching-up work was done in the past, there was no major structural overhaul in the recent past. It was acknowledged that the bridge served as a lifeline for both districts by several commuters who were also aggrieved by the lack of preventive maintenance done to the bridge.
The government has also acted through an investigation to ascertain the cause of the collapse. The opinion is that the foundation of the bridge was possibly weakened with long-term wear, potential water damage, and immediate vehicular pressure, causing the deterioration of the foundation of the bridge. The Gujarat Roads and Buildings Department has roped in a team of experts in engineering to come and analyze the structure in detail and advise whether the bridge can be repaired or if they have to be rebuilt.
Meanwhile, diversions of traffic have also been activated. Nevertheless, the alternate routes are longer and are already filled, causing inverse effects of longer travel time by up to one hour to some commuters. The management has guaranteed that steps are underway to correct the road situation as far as these alternative routes to handle additional load.
It has resulted in political and social mockery, with the opposition leaders and civic activists calling for the need to carry out stricter safety checks of all bridges and flyovers across the state. Numerous people have called on the government to implement immediate checkups to avoid future recurrence of such accidents.
Until then, there is a dreadful reminder of the Gambhira Bridge collapse that serves to inform the importance of following up regularly and enforcing quality standards of infrastructure safety in the developing areas.
