‘Spare a Thought for Infrastructure Collapse, From Bridges to Airports’

Yashika Baghel, a student of BR Ambedkar School of Specialized Excellence, says corruption, poor construction and shoddy maintenance ail the country’s infrastructure. Her views

Noted YouTuber and activist Dhruv Rathee’s video on how several roofs of airports had collapsed recently during the monsoon, and about what is happening in India in contemporary times, is a revelation. Rathee discusses the lack of proper maintenance and safety measures, suggesting that corporate negligence might be contributing to these incidents. The series of collapsing roofs have led to significant disruptions in air-traffic and raised serious questions about the oversight and regulatory frameworks currently in place.

In my opinion, the recent collapse of airport roofs, including those managed by industrialist Gautam Adani, has raised significant concerns about the infrastructure quality and safety in our country. The monsoon has led to significant infrastructure failures all over.

At New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, heavy rainfall caused the collapse of a section of the roof at Terminal 1, resulting in one death and several injuries. The incident disrupted flight operations and raised uncanny questions about the maintenance and safety standards, regular maintenance, and better preparedness in extreme weather conditions.

Yet again, the collapse of a roof in the half-constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya and the widespread flooding and road damage all over the town, are deeply disturbing. These incidents reflect significant issues in the quality of construction and planning. The collapse of the temple roof, which has been a high-profile, cash-rich, religious project backed by the central government, highlights the dangers of rushed construction efforts.

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With the pressure to complete the temple on time for its grand inauguration, it appears that critical safety and quality standards may have been compromised. Additionally, the flooding and damage to roads in Ayodhya, point to broader inadequacies and all-round lack of accountability.

The monsoon rains have exposed the lack of proper drainage systems and durable road constructions. This not only disrupts daily life but poses safety risks to citizens and visitors.

There have been numerous cases of bridges collapsing, especially in Bihar. At least 12 bridges have collapsed in Bihar within a span of 17 days. These incidents occurred in various districts, including in Saran, Siwan, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj. The state government has responded by suspending 15 engineers and ordering the reconstruction of the bridges.

The recurring collapses of bridges in India are mainly due to poor construction quality, lack of maintenance, climate change and weather conditions, ageing infrastructure, and lack of regular maintenance. Over time, minor damages can escalate into significant vulnerabilities that eventually cause the bridges to collapse, especially under heavy load or adverse weather conditions.

Many bridges are subjected to loads far beyond their designed capacity. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather, such as heavy rains and floods, exacerbate the vulnerability of bridges. Indeed, these conditions can weaken even secure foundations.

Much of India’s infrastructure, including bridges, is old and archaic. Many bridges were built decades ago during the British era, and have not been upgraded to meet current safety standards, or to cope with the increased load and environmental stress. Some bridges were not designed to handle the current levels of dense traffic. 

Besides, the Jabalpur airport had its roof collapsing. The Atal Setu bridged cracked. The Pragati Maidan tunnel and the Kartavya Path in Central Delhi got flooded.  Add to this, the NEET paper leaks, leading to serious crisis and disruption in the life of tens of thousands of students, and the series of brazen terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir – and there seems little hope from this government. Besides, our soldiers and officers are dying in the front, and there have been at least six terrorist attacks in Jammu alone – something unprecedented and worrying. And it isn’t even one month since this ‘new’ government has arrived in Delhi!

(The narrator is involved in the research and documentation of the state of children and refugees in conflict and war zones)

As told to Amit Sengupta

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