Gujarat: "50-yr-old Morbi bridge has developed strength issues," says District Official

Morbi (Gujarat) [India], July 16 (ANI): The 50-year-old bridge on the Fuljhar river near Savdi village in Gujarat's Morbi has developed strength issues and will be repaired to increase its lifespan according to District Development Officer (DDO) of Morbi, JS Prajapati.
The DDO along with the team of engineers, visited the spot and inspected the bridge on Tuesday.
Prajapati told ANI, "This is a medium-sized bridge on the Fuljhar river near Savdi village in Morbi. After completing 50 years of age, the bridge has developed some strength issues."
He added that they have adopted the jacketing process to add to the bridge's lifespan.
"For the maintenance of the bridge, the jacketing process has been adopted, which is expected to increase the bridge's lifespan by 30-40 years," DDO Prajapati said.
This comes in the backdrop of the Gambhira Bridge collapse, taking away 20 lives in Vadodara on July 9.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has initiated restoration work to repair roads damaged by heavy monsoon rains across National Highways, State Highways, and roads in villages, towns, and cities.
He reviewed the ongoing repair works of roads and bridges across the state through the video wall of the CM Dashboard, according to an official statement by the CM's office.
"The repair instructions based on the pre-monsoon inspection of roads, bridges, culverts, and causeways must be implemented strictly with no lapses or negligence," the Chief Minister stated.
He instructed officials to adopt a proactive approach to road repairs to ensure not only the quick restoration of traffic movement and the immediate redressal of citizens' complaints, with top priority to road maintenance.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister directed engineers and officials to ensure that no complaint, however small, remains unresolved and that repair works are prioritised to prevent the public from facing any inconvenience.
He specifically emphasised that all citizen complaints received through the Roads and Buildings Department's 24x7 control room, the 'GujMarg' mobile app, municipal apps, WhatsApp, websites, helpline numbers, City Civic Centres, and Command & Control Centres must be addressed promptly and satisfactorily, with active monitoring by the concerned officials to ensure swift resolution. (ANI)