A Bridge Collapsed Completely in Mahad!

MG Singh wrote:

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

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.

This is the real reason. Bridge was OK otherwise, I drove on it many times.

 

True...structural audit in May this year had proved the bridge to be strong, so only the sand mining and destruction of river side vegetation is teh root cause.

usha manohar wrote:

I simply cannot help comparing this to what happens abroad, you get to see such old monumental bridges in Europe, well maintained all the time and people taking pride in it. Here sadly the general Indian mentality is to take public places and public properties for granted. It could be because our leaders have set a bad example, where all public conveniences are used for themselves. No wonder people want to have nothing to do with them..they only see how best they can benefit too like our netas

True...there is no sense of responsibility or pride towards monuments and structures in Indians. What little pride people do display is limited only to words and not deeds., That is why we see some really sick and disgusting graffiti displayed on such structures. It is due to this and lack of commitment that has destroyed some of our best treasures and many others going the same way. There should be actually a predetermined perimeter around such structures where any kind of activity be it construction, digging, excavation any any thing should be completely banned. Any thing that can cause damage to heritage structures should not be allowed at any cost.

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

usha manohar wrote:

I simply cannot help comparing this to what happens abroad, you get to see such old monumental bridges in Europe, well maintained all the time and people taking pride in it. Here sadly the general Indian mentality is to take public places and public properties for granted. It could be because our leaders have set a bad example, where all public conveniences are used for themselves. No wonder people want to have nothing to do with them..they only see how best they can benefit too like our netas

True...there is no sense of responsibility or pride towards monuments and structures in Indians. What little pride people do display is limited only to words and not deeds., That is why we see some really sick and disgusting graffiti displayed on such structures. It is due to this and lack of commitment that has destroyed some of our best treasures and many others going the same way. There should be actually a predetermined perimeter around such structures where any kind of activity be it construction, digging, excavation any any thing should be completely banned. Any thing that can cause damage to heritage structures should not be allowed at any cost.

Kalyani,  this is the case everywhere in our country. We have two bridges across Netravati river at Bantwal and Uppinangadi close to Mangalore and trucks carrying sands are a permanent feature on the dried river bed during summer. No one seems to care least of all the concerned authorities ..

usha manohar wrote:

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

usha manohar wrote:

I simply cannot help comparing this to what happens abroad, you get to see such old monumental bridges in Europe, well maintained all the time and people taking pride in it. Here sadly the general Indian mentality is to take public places and public properties for granted. It could be because our leaders have set a bad example, where all public conveniences are used for themselves. No wonder people want to have nothing to do with them..they only see how best they can benefit too like our netas

True...there is no sense of responsibility or pride towards monuments and structures in Indians. What little pride people do display is limited only to words and not deeds., That is why we see some really sick and disgusting graffiti displayed on such structures. It is due to this and lack of commitment that has destroyed some of our best treasures and many others going the same way. There should be actually a predetermined perimeter around such structures where any kind of activity be it construction, digging, excavation any any thing should be completely banned. Any thing that can cause damage to heritage structures should not be allowed at any cost.

Kalyani,  this is the case everywhere in our country. We have two bridges across Netravati river at Bantwal and Uppinangadi close to Mangalore and trucks carrying sands are a permanent feature on the dried river bed during summer. No one seems to care least of all the concerned authorities ..

Yes in my area during closer of Gan Canal carrying sand is common. Government can earn handsome amount by selling this sand. This sand is used in construction work.

Like all other mafias we have in our country, sand mafia combined with the builders mafia is a very powerful lobby backed by our greedy betas and unless their own kith and kin go down the stream nothing much will be done..

Now they are razing to ground more than 100 buildings in Bengaluru without notice. But are they built on storm water drains. If yes then why were they allowed in first place. Scams and mafias operating everywhere.

vijay wrote:

Now they are razing to ground more than 100 buildings in Bengaluru without notice. But are they built on storm water drains. If yes then why were they allowed in first place. Scams and mafias operating everywhere.

Buildings built on natural streams and storm drains are a common occurrence everywhere. Flash floods in Mumbai in 2005 were the result of very such activity. Increased waterlogging and flooding every year in major cities are again due to this. But no one is concerned in the initial stages, permissions are given to build such buildings in exchange for money, obviously, and then some mishap occurs. So now they are demolishing 100 buildings in Bangalore, what a shameful waste of resources and money! It is the consensus of sand mafias and builders that have totally ruined this country!

Karnataka High Court has supported the demolition and has asked for names of officials who colluded to give clearances for such illegal constructions. Yes they should be punished as they have broken trust placed in them by the society.

Many of the top politicians in the ruling party of Karnataka are hand in glove with the builders and now the BBMP officials have been shown the door for doing their duty of demolition and for having given permission which they say was under political pressure and absolutely no word of the builders who were also responsible and the great people behind it !

vijay wrote:

Karnataka High Court has supported the demolition and has asked for names of officials who colluded to give clearances for such illegal constructions. Yes they should be punished as they have broken trust placed in them by the society.

They should be punished, as severely as possible. But is demolishing a 100 such buildings really so desirable?? Imagine the waste of money, resources and labour all that went into it.

Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:

vijay wrote:

Karnataka High Court has supported the demolition and has asked for names of officials who colluded to give clearances for such illegal constructions. Yes they should be punished as they have broken trust placed in them by the society.

They should be punished, as severely as possible. But is demolishing a 100 such buildings really so desirable?? Imagine the waste of money, resources and labour all that went into it.

Also the plight of all those people whose houses have been razed to the grounds.One old lady and her family were crying, saying that they still have not finished paying off the housing loan and that they have been prompt in paying the property taxes etc...How can the corporation take their taxes for years and then go and bring it down without giving them a chance ..Also what about the politicians and the builders who are behind the whole scam ?

vijay wrote:

Karnataka High Court has supported the demolition and has asked for names of officials who colluded to give clearances for such illegal constructions. Yes they should be punished as they have broken trust placed in them by the society.

Officials are only puppets who are control by others. Here is India mafia is active every where. Here is my city Three wheeler mafia, diseal smugler mafia, bookies mafia, drug mafia  and many more mafias are active. These are paying monthly to police and other officers and doing there work without any fear.

It does look sad that around 1800 houses have to be razed to ground fully or partially because they are built on storm water drains. It is not believeable that many of them were not aware that storm water drains were sold to them. Even when they are aware but the fact that illegally clearance has been obtained would have emboldened them to carry on with the deal as they would feel secure. It is good that an example is being set and storm water drains are being reclaimed. Please do not ask for mercy for the residents and dilute the efforts. In fact the officials and builders should be punished and movement to see that they are should be launched.

vijay wrote:

It does look sad that around 1800 houses have to be razed to ground fully or partially because they are built on storm water drains. It is not believeable that many of them were not aware that storm water drains were sold to them. Even when they are aware but the fact that illegally clearance has been obtained would have emboldened them to carry on with the deal as they would feel secure. It is good that an example is being set and storm water drains are being reclaimed. Please do not ask for mercy for the residents and dilute the efforts. In fact the officials and builders should be punished and movement to see that they are should be launched.

 

Your views are very relevant. I am sure you all must have read about the similar building called Campa-cola in Mumbai. Although there is no issue of storm drain involved there, but the building consists of too many floors which are illegally built. It had permission for only certain number of floors but since the demand for living space in Mumbai far exceeds from anywhere else, the builder raised the building illegally and sold flats to residents who, in spite of knowing this, bought them. Now for the last two years the Brihanmaharashtra Mumbai Corporation is trying to raze these floors down after giving the residents adequate notice. But the residents are all affluent and rich and have resorted to hunger strike and support from powerful sources. The issue goes on.

Once an illegal building is given recognition, the precedent sets in and such buildings keep being constructed and later on, residents try to cite a number of reasons. No one stops to think of them in the first place when buying illegal property. So I think, a hard and harsh decision should be taken for once but care also needs to be taken that such buildings are not constructed at all in the first place.

Unless it is clearly marked by the concerned authorities, a layman would not know where the drains are if they have already been covered. Added to that the city corporation had issues the necessary permissions required to construct the houses. Some of them were bought frm land owners and some are apartments built by the builders. Ultimately it is the poor house owners who suffer and never the builders not the politicians who favored the builders. Karnataka govt has been involved in every kind of scam possible and this is just one more ..