A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice DN Patel on Friday expressed concern over the condition of bridges in the state as 133 of them had to be closed after the Gambhira tragedy even though a pre-monsoon inspection report claimed that all bridges in the state were safe.
“All bridges were declared safe in pre-monsoon checks, but after the Vadodara accident, another round of inspections led to the closure of 133 bridges. What does that say about your earlier inspection?” the court questioned.
The Gujarat High Court, during a suo motu hearing on the Morbi Bridge collapse, questioned the government over the recent Gambhira bridge accident. The government admitted fault and said, “This unfortunate incident should not have happened, sorry.”
Justice D N Patel also asked if other bridges were being monitored beyond just the Morbi bridge. The government responded that the High Court had already instructed inspection of all bridges, and further re-checks are being carried out. A meeting of all relevant officials has been called, the court was informed.
The court also asked what action had been taken against officials responsible for the Morbi tragedy. Advocate General Kamal Trivedi stated that former Morbi Municipality Chief Officer Sandip Zala was suspended, a departmental probe was done, and a charge sheet was filed. He was found guilty after being given an opportunity to present his side.
The court also criticised the Roads and Buildings Department, asking why a second inspection was necessary if pre-monsoon checks were sufficient. The Advocate General repeated the apology for the Vadodara incident too, while stating that bridge inspections are held twice a year. Meanwhile, a trust has been formed to compensate the Morbi tragedy victims, and a court-appointed amicus curiae will submit a report on the trust’s work.