Morbi (Gujarat):
Investigation into the bridge collapse in Gujarat's Morbi that killed over 130 people last month has revealed huge lapses in the renovation and the management upon reopening, raising questions over contractor Oreva Group and the local municipality.
Here's the story so far in 10 key facts:
Oreva Group, which had the contract of maintenance, operation and security of the suspension bridge, had issued a whopping 3,165 tickets on October 30, the day of the collapse, said the government lawyer at a district court today while submitting a forensic probe report. Not all tickets were sold but the company hadn't, in any case, assessed the load-bearing capacity of the bridge that was originally built over a century ago.
The bridge's cables were rusted, its anchors were broken, and even the bolts that connected the cables with the anchors were loose, the report said. Preliminary probe had suggested that the old cables could not take the load of a new, heavy flooring laid by the contractor.
The guards and ticket collector kept by Oreva were daily wage labourers, who had no expertise in crowd management, said the government lawyer during bail hearing of the nine staff members who have so far been arrested. No one from the top management of Oreva, which is known mainly for 'Ajanta' clocks, has faced arrest as yet.
The guards were never told about safety protocols or how many people should be allowed on the bridge, the report said. The district-level government pleader, Vijay Jani, told NDTV, "Oreva was responsible for security but they didn't even keep any lifeguards or boats to save people in case of an accident."
The bridge over Machchhu river collapsed just four days after it was reopened. It was to be kept closed for eight to 12 months as per the contract, but was reopened after seven months -- on October 26, the Gujarati New Year -- without any fitness certificate by the local civic body.
In the High Court last week, the civic body took responsibility for the collapse. It said in an affidavit that "the bridge shouldn't have been opened". An officer has been suspended. The High Court had taken note of the tragedy on its own and sought replies from at least six departments.
The civic body was slammed by the High Court at two hearings before this over delay in filing an affidavit about details of the tragedy. "The municipality, a government body, has defaulted, which ultimately killed 135 people," the court said.
The High Court has asked why legal norms had not been followed. "The largesse of the state seems to have been granted without there being any tender floated in this regard," one of its orders last week stated. The court asked for the basis on which the bridge was being operated by the company after June 2017 "even when the contract (signed in 2008 for nine years) was not renewed". A fresh agreement was signed in March 2022 for a period of 15 years.
The matter reached the Supreme Court earlier this week, and it asked the High Court to hold periodical hearings. "It is an enormous tragedy and this will require weekly monitoring to see the award of contract, credential of the party awarded the contract, attribution of responsibility for those guilty," observed the bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli.
While the state government has set up a five-member inquiry committee, the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission has told the High Court that its chairperson and a member are probing the effects of the tragedy. The commission is also verifying if the compensation is being is paid properly to the families.
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