Surat’s Recently Built Variav Bridge Is Developing Cracks

Exactly 40 days after Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s virtual inauguration of the recently built Ved-Variav bridge across the Tapi River in Surat, cracks have already started to appear.

The bridge, which was opened on May 17, cost Rs 118 crore to construct. More than eight lakh people in the region are served by it, which links the Surat villages of Variyav and Ved. The bridge has four lanes and a 1.5 kilometer length.

Dharmesh Bhanderi, an AAP councillor and leader of the opposition (LoP) at the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), and other authorities conducted an inspection after finding fractures on the approach road to Variyav. According to SMC officials, water buildup in the approach area might have exacerbated the damage.

The bridge’s damaged portion is now being repaired right away by the SMC’s bridge cell department. The staff has been working to repair the harm and ensure that vehicles may cross the Tapi River without incident once again.

In response to worries about the bridge’s structural integrity, the SMC officials acted quickly. The restoration procedure seeks to guarantee the bridge’s robustness, and in-depth examinations and analyses are now being conducted.

Bhanderi has asked for a former High Court judge to look into the matter. He also claimed that there had been corruption throughout the bridge’s construction, noting the development of fractures during the first downpour. According to Bhanderi, contracts were given to builders and contractors who had ties to local BJP politicians.

Isudan Gadhvi, the president of AAP Gujarat, accused the BJP of corruption and demanded a thorough probe into the recent incidents of bridge damage around the state. Gadhvi also brought up the fatal collapse of the Morbi bridge last year, pleading with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request a CBI or Enforcement Directorate investigation.