[ad_1]
After seven months of repairs and maintenance by a private company, Oreva the suspension bridge over the Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi collapsed on 30 October 2022, Sunday evening, killing at least 140 people and still counting. The bridge was only reopened to the public four days ago, but it still lacked the municipality’s “fitness certificate,” an official said.
About Morbi:
Morbi is a town on the Machchhu River that is 60 kilometers from Rajkot. It serves as the district’s administrative center. On August 15, 2013, the district of Morbi and numerous other new districts were established. There are five talukas in the district: Halvad, Tankara, Wankaner, and Morbi. Halvad and Wankaner were formerly in the Surendranagar district and the Rajkot district, respectively. This district is bordered to the north by the Kutch district, to the east by the Surendranagar district, to the south by the Rajkot district, and to the west by the Jamnagar district.
Ceramics are big business in Morbi. Several hundred ceramic manufacturing facilities, mostly small and medium-sized businesses, are scattered throughout the area. Morbi is where around 70% of India’s ceramics are made, and the region’s ceramic tiles are shipped to nations in the Middle East, Africa & East Asia. The ceramic business in Morbi has an annual revenue of Rs 50,000 crore and exports worth roughly Rs 15,000 crore.
History and facts about the Morbi Bridge:
When Sir Waghji Ravaji, was in power, the pedestrian suspension bridge known as “Jhulto Pul” was first opened to the public in 1879. Sir Waghji is credited with designing and constructing the whole city of Morbi, which included the first art deco palace in India and a central Green Chowk area designed in the manner of European cities. The Colonial influence motivated Sir Waghji Thakor, who ruled Morbi until 1922, to build the bridge.
The suspension bridge was described as an “engineering marvel” that was constructed around the turn of the 19th century and it “reflects the advanced & scientific nature of the rulers of Morbi.”
In order to operate and maintain the bridge for 15 years, the Morbi municipality and the private company Oreva Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this year. The bridge was shut down for remodelling in March.
According to Sandeepsinh Zala, the chief officer of the Morbi municipality, the bridge had not received a fitness certificate from the local government even though it had been inaugurated on October 26 following the conclusion of the rehabilitation work.
[ad_2]
Source link