CSMT bridge collapse: BMC issues notice to firm which conducted audit, asks why it should not be blacklisted

Mumbai: The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) on Saturday issued a show cause notice against DD Desai’s Associated Engineering Consultants and Analysts Pvt Ltd, which had carried out the work of surveying the bridge connecting The Times of India building with the CSMT station. In the notice against DD Desai’s firm, MCGM stated, “You have submitted the final report for the 39 bridges in City Zone South vide note dated 6 August…As per the above report, the Times FOB DN Road, Near Times of India, CST at Sr. No. 18 shows the findings as FOB in good condition.” “You have not raised any alarm for anticipated failure of structural members and not recommended any specific needs for repairs. You have also reported that the condition of joints, deflections, cracks, spalling etc. in GOOD condition…You have suggested that the overall condition of the bridge as GOOD (sic),” it further read. [caption id=“attachment_6269961” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Rescue work in progress after a foot overbridge near the CSMT station in Mumbai collapsed. PTI[/caption] MCGM has withdrawn all the ongoing works allocated to the said firm. “From the findings as stated above, it can be concluded that the structural audit is not carried out correctly and major lapses are observed in conducting the structural audit of the bridge on the background of sudden collapse of the bridge on 14 March, 2019 within a short period of submission of the report on 8 August, 2018,” the notice further read. MCGM has sought a reply from the firm asking them why they should not be blacklisted even after such a serious lapse. Earlier in the day, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had directed one of its consultants to carry out inspections and review the structural audit report of 157 bridges in Mumbai on a “most urgent” basis. The structural audit is required to be completed within one month and submitted with a detailed investigation. The work is awarded to CV Kand Consultants Pvt Ltd which had carried out the inventory of 157 various types of bridges, ROBs, FOBs, flyovers, vehicular subways in Zone-III, Zone-IV and Zone-VII. BMC has observed that the inventory report of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway bridge had mentioned that the bridge was in good condition and this has happened due to “careless investigation of the bridge structure.” “The consultant is directed to do a re-inspection and detailed investigation of all 157 bridges and submit report and recommendation, if any within the prescribed period,” read the BMC notice. Earlier on Saturday, BMC had filed its preliminary report in the CSMT bridge collapse case, outlining that diligent structural audit could have avoided the tragedy, which claimed six lives.