Exclusive: Gujarat Bridge Reopened Ahead Of Schedule. Over 130 Dead

The bridge that collapsed in Gujarat's Morbi yesterday, killing more than 130 people, was opened to the public ahead of schedule by the private company maintaining it, documents reveal.

The repairs were carried out by the Gujarat-based Oreva group, which describes itself as the world's largest clock manufacturer and makes lighting products and e-bikes. 

Oreva was hired to maintain the historic colonial-era bridge in March. The bridge was reopened to the public seven months later, on October 26, when the Gujarati New Year was celebrated.

The company was bound by its contract to keep the bridge shut for at least eight to 12 months for maintenance and repairs.

After opening it before time, the company even sold tickets at Rs 17, allegedly without ever securing a fitness certificate from the civic authorities.

NDTV has accessed the contract signed in March between the Morbi municipal authorities and Ajanta Manufacturing Private Limited, which is a part of the Oreva group. The watchmaker reportedly outsourced the "technical aspect of the renovation" to a smaller construction company, Devprakash Solutions. 

Under the 15-year contract, Oreva would maintain the bridge and collect payment in the form of tickets. The agreement allowed the company to raise the ticket price every year till 2037.

Tickets were sold for Rs 12 to Rs 17 yesterday; there was no apparent crowd control, either by the private company or by the administration.

While opening the bridge last week, Oreva Managing Director Jaysukhbhai Patel had said that the company had done "100 per cent renovation in 2 crores".

He also explained why the company would charge tickets. "We've just opened the bridge for the public so we cannot keep the entry free of charge, and we also don't want to overwhelm the sturdiness of the bridge, so to limit the amount of entry and the crowd, we will charge for an entry," Mr Patel had said.