Vadodara, Jul 10: A day after the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge collapsed in Padra taluka, claiming 15 lives, concerns mounted over the structural safety of other bridges across Gujarat's Vadodara city.

Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has assured the public that most bridges under its jurisdiction have been recently audited and declared structurally sound.

Built in 1985, the ageing Gambhira-Mujpur bridge was frequently used by heavy vehicles bypassing toll routes and had long been flagged by locals for structural concerns. This incident marks the 12th bridge-related failure in Gujarat in the past five years.

As part of its pre-monsoon preparedness, the VMC conducted a comprehensive safety audit of all 43 bridges within the city.

According to the Standing Committee Chairman, VMC, Shital Mistry, 41 of these structures have passed inspection and are deemed safe for public use.

The audit covered 14 railway bridges, 22 overbridges, four flyovers, and one additional bridge.

Mistry stated, "A consultant was appointed to carry out structural stability assessments ahead of the monsoon. The audits were conducted jointly by the appointed agency and municipal engineers. Based on their reports, 41 bridges are structurally sound."

However, the audit flagged two bridges as unsafe.

One is the foot overbridge at Kamatibagh, which has been shut down entirely. The second is the old Jambua bridge, which has been closed to vehicular traffic.

"Strict instructions have been given to the Engineering Department to immediately carry out any pending minor or major repairs on all bridges," Dr Mistry added.

He further emphasised that the corporation is taking all necessary precautions to prevent incidents like the Padra bridge collapse.

"Vadodara Municipal Corporation is committed to public safety and is conducting honest and thorough audits to ensure no such tragedies occur within city limits," the official said.

(IANS)

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