Gujarat's Morbi bridge reopened without any prior approval: Civic body to high court

Gandhinagar: “The Morbi bridge should not have been opened,” the civic body of Gujarat’s Morbi said, taking responsibility for the collapse of the ‘British-era’ suspension bridge that killed 135 people on 30 October.

Shut for over seven months for repairs, the bridge over Machchhu river was reopened to the public on the Gujarati New Year on 26 October this year.

Interestingly, the Morbi bridge was opened to the public without a fitness certificate and prior approval from the civic authorities.

What did Morbi civic body say in its affidavit?

The affidavit, filed through Naran Kalabhai Muchhar, In-charge Chief Officer of Morbi Nagar Palika, stated that the Morbi Nagar Palika was not informed about the kind of repairing work undertaken by the company.

It further said that the company did not provide any independent third-party certificate/s relating to material testing, structure fitness, holding capacity and fitness, and stability of the suspension bridge.

Gujarat High Court raps Morbi municipal corporation

On Wednesday, the Gujarat High Court asked why the Morbi municipal corporation opened the bridge for public use even when the firm contracted to maintain it had raised red flag last year about its “critical” condition.

On 29 December, 2021, the Ajanta Manufacturing Ltd (Oreva Group) had informed the Morbi civic body about the condition of the bridge.

Stop taking matter casually, Gujarat HC to Morbi civic body

On Wednesday, the Morbi civic body was directed by the Gujarat HC to file its counter-affidavit in the bridge collapse matter or the court would impose a cost of Rs 1 lakh on it.

The civic body, meanwhile, sought time till 24 November to file its reply. The court has, however, refused to grant time till then and the Chief Justice verbally asked the civic body to stop taking the matter casually and to file the reply/counter affidavit by 4:30 pm today (Wednesday, 16 October) or pay Rs 1 lakh cost.

The high court also noted that despite the expiry of a 2008 MoU signed between Collector Rajkot and M/s Ajanta to operate, maintain, manage, and collect rent in respect of the suspension bridge in 2017, the bridge continued to be maintained by the Ajanta company.

The court, on Tuesday, even sought answers over the process in which the contract was awarded to Oreva Group for maintenance of the 150-year-old bridge without floating a tender.

It is also being alleged that Oreva Group, during seven-month closure of bridge for repair, did not replace the rusted cables but installed a new flooring that proved too heavy.

The high 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”.

As per the affidavit, Oreva Group, twice - in January 2020 and December 2021 - informed the Chief Officer of Nagar Palika that the condition of the Morbi suspension bridge is critical and that unless and until an agreement is signed entrusting the operations, maintenance, security and management of the bridge to the company, it shall not undertake any kind of work related to the bridge.

It was in March 2022, the agreement with certain conditions was executed entrusting to the company, the entire management of the Morbi bridge for a period of 15 years. It was closed for visitors between 8 March, 2022 and 25 October, 2022. It was reopened mere four days before the collapse incident.

With inputs from Live Law

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