I have been reading and watching this since yesterday Kalyani, it is horrifying to see how the bridge has been allowed to reach such a state over the years.I heard some experts say that it should have been repaired a decade ago and the then gvt was advised to do so..

The life of the Bridge, that was  built in British era had ended after completion of 100 years.The search operations for  the buses  that were swept away could not be continued  due to Pitch darkness. There was an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly.

 All the channels were broadcasting this tragic incidence since yesterday.

usha manohar wrote:

I have been reading and watching this since yesterday Kalyani, it is horrifying to see how the bridge has been allowed to reach such a state over the years.I heard some experts say that it should have been repaired a decade ago and the then gvt was advised to do so..

Actually the bridge was one of the 14 bridges in Konkan built by the British 100 years ago. The authorities had even received a letter recently from the British officially stating that the original guarantee of the structure was now expired and so the bridge be closed down. But is is said that the letter was ignored.

However, the authorities claimed to have conducted an audit of the bridge in May that revealed the bridge to be in good condition.

Experts say that down the river and many places on the same river, large scale sand excavation has been going on for many years. Sand, sent to mega projects in Mumbai and Thane, brings in millions of rupees, but has led to serious deterioration of the natural river bed and this led to the weakening of the foundation pillars. Therefore, the bridge which stood similar floods and rains for a 100 years until now, could not bear it longer and finally breathed its last.

Everything has some life. even bridges. Ironically, we hope that buildings and bridges will never collapse just as humans hope to live for ever.  The British would abandon the time expired buildings/ bridges but that practice is now discarded. This is cause of such disaster. 

The Bridge built over River Godavari was built by Sir Arthur cotton more than 100 years ago. Still it is in strong condition. Because of  regular periodical maintenance works. 

The old bridge on Godavari river built by Arthur Havelock  was decommissioned in 1997 and a new bridge was built alongside it .. Th original bridge is now a pedestrain pathwaty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Godavari_Bridge

Sorry for the ,mistake. I mixed up the two names, Arthur Havelock and Sir Arthiur cotton. Sir Arthur Cotton  built the Bridge on Godavari near a place called  Dowlewarwm near Rajahmundry known as Dowleswaram Barrage..

on Rivr Godavari.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowleswaram_Barrage

rambabu wrote:

The life of the Bridge, that was  built in British era had ended after completion of 100 years.The search operations for  the buses  that were swept away could not be continued  due to Pitch darkness. There was an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly.

 All the channels were broadcasting this tragic incidence since yesterday.

news papers said that it is 88 years old. One Engineer said that the reason behind this tragedies is mining of sand from river. 

anil wrote:

rambabu wrote:

The life of the Bridge, that was  built in British era had ended after completion of 100 years.The search operations for  the buses  that were swept away could not be continued  due to Pitch darkness. There was an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly.

 All the channels were broadcasting this tragic incidence since yesterday.

news papers said that it is 88 years old. One Engineer said that the reason behind this tragedies is mining of sand from river. 

Rescue operations that were stopped yesterday due to Darkness are resumed . 42 people are feared killed. The fate of the two buses are yet to be known. CM Fadnavis announced a probe. Perhaps, late today we may be able to get more news.

 

anil wrote:

rambabu wrote:

The life of the Bridge, that was  built in British era had ended after completion of 100 years.The search operations for  the buses  that were swept away could not be continued  due to Pitch darkness. There was an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly.

 All the channels were broadcasting this tragic incidence since yesterday.

news papers said that it is 88 years old. One Engineer said that the reason behind this tragedies is mining of sand from river. 

It is true Anil, although the immediate cause for collapse of bridge might be different but at the root of it all, lies the same old monster that is destruction of natural resources and habitat. Rainfall of this magnitude is nothing new for Konkan and the bridge had weathered more than 80-90 decades of such rains. But uncontrolled sand mining, destruction of natural riverside vegetation are the main cause behind it. There is a reason for the existence of sands, silt in the river and vegetation on river banks. They all are designed to absorb and reduce the impact of floods to adjoining regions. But since they are all destroyed, majority of the thrust of flood waters is directed to man-made structures which cannot resist the impact and therefore collapse.