Mumbai's Public Infrastructure about to Collapse

Another bridge collapsed in Mumbai. The collapse of the bridge is an indication that the city's system and public infrastructure is also collapsing. For that, the BMC needs to pull their socks and needs operation and deployment system for the maintenance of the Public Infrastructure.

Photo (https://unsplash.com/photos/a0ltnKmcotM)

After completing the day's work on March 14, 2019, the working class of Mumbai was in a hurry to catch a bus or train to reach home. Part of the pedestrian bridge near the station, which people use to avoid traffic on the way to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to catch the train, collapsed on the road below it. Six people lost their lives and 30 others were injured in the accident. The part of the pedestrian bridge that had not fallen was pulled down. In July 2018, Andheri, a suburb of Mumbai, also had a bridge collapse. Two people reported to have been killed in the unfortunate incident.

The BMC had ordered an audit of 296 constructions such as bridges, pedestrian bridges and railway overbridges after the Andheri pedestrian bridge collapse. The report submitted by the auditors said that out of the total bridges, 110 are in good condition, 107 bridges are in need of minor repairs and 61 bridges are in need of renovation. 18 bridges need to be demolished and rebuilt. The pedestrian bridge that collapsed on March 14 was also inspected.

The CST pedestrian bridge was built between 1984-86 and was inspected in December 2016. The tests required for the evaluation of the bridge were conducted in July 2017 and the final report was submitted to the BMC in August 2018. The auditor had reported that the bridge was in good condition and no part of the bridge was reported to be in danger in the coming period. Although the structural report recommended minor repairs, it did not specify the nature of the repairs or the exact location of the damage.

The preliminary report of the BMC has concluded that, “The structural report seems to have completely ignored the critical condition of the collapsed pedestrian bridge, which led to this tragic incident. Despite requesting a report on the structural inspection of the bridge, the true condition of the bridge has not been revealed.

Mumbai police have arrested a structural auditor following a preliminary report on the collapse of the bridge. The Executive Engineer and Assistant Engineer of BMC, who were given the responsibility of supervising the audit of the bridge, have been suspended and an investigation is underway against the Chief Engineer and Deputy Chief Engineer. They have been asked to give a reason before blacklisting the structurally tested company.

This tragedy has necessitated the appointment of a suitable candidate for the post of 'Chief Pool Inspector' by the BMC. Because there are a total of 374 bridges in the city and their number is increasing. This inspector will lead the Pool Inspection Authority, which will have the following objectives -

1. Each bridge should be inspected after a certain period of time.
2. Bridge inspection work should be done regularly at different stages.
3. Determine the size and format required to submit the report.
4. Determine the responsibilities of the engineers who maintain the various bridges.
5. If the pool is in dangerous condition, immediately recommend by-products.

The outcry also happened after the CSMT accident, as happens after every civilian accident. People expressed their anger against the administration. But the mistakes in this case are very serious and he seems to be responsible for the high level of executive depression and weakness, so this kind of anger is natural. However, these are obvious reasons. The real reasons are in the structure of the system and its enormity. If these problems are not addressed, many such calamities will inevitably occur.

I don't think things will get back on track even if only the employees of the corporation are punished for such accidents. The main problems are related to the capacity of these administration, finance and municipal offices.

The most important area in need of fundamental reform is civil administration. Since our cities are governed by a system of government, it is impossible to delegate responsibility to any of the local bodies. While the Municipal Commissioner is the Chief Executive Officer, most of the financial sanctioning powers are vested in the Standing Committee. In addition, state-level officials play an important role in the decision-making process in the case of the city. Many other forces operate behind the scenes. These forces emerge from political parties and interfere in the decision-making process for fear of blackmail and transfer.

As long as a competent mayoral system with the power to make the final decision and the power to run it does not exist, the idea of ​​using 'responsibility' in debates, workshops and seminars will remain.

The most important area in need of fundamental reform is civil administration. Since our cities are governed by a system of government, it is impossible to delegate responsibility to any of the local bodies. While the Municipal Commissioner is the Chief Executive Officer, most of the financial sanctioning powers are vested in the Standing Committee. In addition, state-level officials play an important role in the decision-making process in the case of the city. Many other forces operate behind the scenes. These forces emerge from political parties and interfere in the decision-making process for fear of blackmail and transfer.

As long as a competent mayoral system with the power to make the final decision and the power to run it does not exist, the idea of ​​using 'responsibility' in debates, workshops and seminars will remain.