{"id":47604,"date":"2025-07-10T21:20:21","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T15:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=47604"},"modified":"2025-07-29T11:29:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T05:59:48","slug":"gujarat-bridge-collapse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/10-07-2025\/gujarat-bridge-collapse","title":{"rendered":"Gujarat Bridge Collapse: Fragility of Public Infrastructure in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syl<\/strong><strong>labus: GS3\/Disaster Management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The recent collapse of the <strong>Mujpur-Gambhira bridge<\/strong> over <strong>Gujarat\u2019s Mahisagar (Mahi) river<\/strong> has once again exposed the alarming fragility of public infrastructure of India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>About Mahisagar (Mahi) River<\/strong><br>&#8211; It is one of the few major <strong>west-flowing<\/strong> interstate rivers in India, traversing the states of <strong>Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat<\/strong> before draining into the <strong>Gulf of Khambhat<\/strong> in the Arabian Sea.<br>&#8211; <strong>Origin:<\/strong> Northern slopes of the Vindhyas, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh.<br>&#8211; It is the <strong>only river in India<\/strong> that crosses the <strong>Tropic of Cancer twice<\/strong>.<br>&#8211; <strong>Major Tributaries:<\/strong><br>1. <strong>Right Bank:<\/strong> Som River<br>2. <strong>Left Bank:<\/strong> Anas River, Panam River<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About India\u2019s Public Infrastructure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s public infrastructure \u2014 like national highways &amp; expressways, economic corridors, bridges, drainage systems, urban utilities, telecom, and infrastructures related to ports &amp; shipping etc \u2014 is recognized as the foundation of economic growth, social equity, and national resilience.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over the past decade, sectors like transport, energy, housing and digital connectivity have gained momentum.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to the <strong>Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI),<\/strong> 431 infrastructure projects faced cost overruns totaling \u20b94.82 lakh crore as of December 2023.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Delays range from 1 month to over 5 years, with 36% of projects running 25\u201360 months behind schedule.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasons For Fragality of India\u2019s Public Infrastructure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Chronic Underfunding &amp; Investment Gaps: <\/strong>India needs \u20b970 lakh crore by 2036 to meet urban infrastructure demands.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Municipal finances remain stagnant at 1% of GDP, limiting local capacity to maintain infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Overreliance on Public Sector Funding:<\/strong> Public sector contributes 78% of infrastructure investment; private participation remains low due to long payback periods and high risk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fragmented Governance:<\/strong> Multiple agencies (e.g., DDA, PWD, MCD) operate in silos, especially in metros like Delhi and Mumbai.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lack of coordination leads to blame games and reactive maintenance, rather than proactive planning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Poor Planning &amp; Execution:<\/strong> Projects often lack comprehensive feasibility studies, resulting in flawed designs\u2014like underpasses that flood every monsoon.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Urban infrastructure is frequently built on natural drainage basins, worsening flood risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Detailed Project Reports (DPRs)<\/strong> are outsourced with inconsistent quality and data accuracy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulatory &amp; Legal Bottlenecks:<\/strong> Land acquisition delays, outdated building codes, and weak enforcement of safety norms slow down projects.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Dispute resolution and arbitration mechanisms are inadequate, leading to prolonged litigation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Skill &amp; Capacity Deficits:<\/strong> Local bodies lack trained personnel and modern project management tools.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Short-term training programs are being considered, but systemic reform<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> is needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate &amp; Disaster Vulnerability:<\/strong> CBRE-CII Report (2024) revealed that 50% of India\u2019s public infrastructure is unprepared for natural or man-made disasters. Key risks include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8216;Floods, heatwaves, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/cyclones\/\">cyclones<\/a>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Industrial accidents and cyberattacks;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public health crises;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dbd6c5\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"603\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gujarat-Bridge-Collapse-Fragility-of-Public-Infrastructure-in-India-603x1024.png\" alt=\"gujarat bridge collapse fragility of public infrastructure in india\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-47628\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dbd6c5; width:347px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gujarat-Bridge-Collapse-Fragility-of-Public-Infrastructure-in-India-603x1024.png 603w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gujarat-Bridge-Collapse-Fragility-of-Public-Infrastructure-in-India-177x300.png 177w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gujarat-Bridge-Collapse-Fragility-of-Public-Infrastructure-in-India-768x1304.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gujarat-Bridge-Collapse-Fragility-of-Public-Infrastructure-in-India-905x1536.png 905w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gujarat-Bridge-Collapse-Fragility-of-Public-Infrastructure-in-India.png 1165w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Proposed Reform<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Structural &amp; Governance Reforms:<\/strong> Treat urban infrastructure as core national infrastructure to unlock long-term capital.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create unified, tech-enabled urban governance bodies for integrated planning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthen State Finance Commissions to empower municipal autonomy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financing Innovations:<\/strong> Develop a municipal bond market and pooled finance mechanisms.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Decouple project preparation from financial assistance to ensure sustainability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leverage Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for efficient service delivery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spatial &amp; Industrial Integration:<\/strong> Synchronize urban expansion with industrial corridors to reduce inefficiencies.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Capture land value in transport projects, especially metro rail.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sustainability &amp; Climate Resilience:<\/strong> Integrate climate adaptation into infrastructure planning.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Promote circular economy models in sanitation and waste management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/cities\/ahmedabad\/gujarat-bridge-collapse-vibrations-dangerous-alarm-rang-3-years-ago-7th-incident-since-2021-10116930\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: IE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The recent collapse of the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge over Gujarat\u2019s Mahisagar (Mahi) river has once again exposed the alarming fragility of public infrastructure of India.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Proposed Reform<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Structural &#038; Governance Reforms: Treat urban infrastructure as core national infrastructure to unlock long-term capital.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Create unified, tech-enabled urban governance bodies for integrated planning.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Strengthen State Finance Commissions to empower municipal autonomy.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Financing Innovations: Develop a municipal bond market and pooled finance mechanisms.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/10-07-2025\/gujarat-bridge-collapse\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47604"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47604\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48746,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47604\/revisions\/48746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}