Kolkata, Oct 31 (PTI) In the backdrop of the collapse of the bridge at Morbi in Gujarat, the West Bengal government on Monday sought the health reports of cable-stayed bridges from the administrations of the districts where they are located, a senior official said here.
Engineers of the state public works department were asked to send reports on the health of the bridges within 24 hours to the state secretariat, he said.
State PWD minister Pulak Roy will hold a meeting with departmental engineers on Tuesday on the health of the bridges, the official said.
“We cannot take any chances and must take precautionary measures so that there is no repetition of the Gujarat mishap. The PWD minister has asked the engineers to file a report regarding the health of the cable stayed bridges in different districts,” he said.
At least 134 persons died in the collapse of the bridge over Machchhu river in Gujarat.
Roy, when contacted told PTI that the meeting is a part of the “review” his department conducts annually.
“This is a review meeting and I will talk to the engineers. I will talk to them and seek a report and take necessary action in case it is needed,” Roy said.
Bengal has witnessed three major bridge collapses since 2011 in which the lives of several people were claimed.
On October 22 in 2011, 32 people were killed and over 60 injured at Bijanbari in Darjeeling district when an old wooden footbridge over a spring gave way during a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha meeting.
About five years later on 31 March 2016, a 150-m steel span of under-construction Vivekananda Road flyover in the city collapsed killing 27 people and 50 others injured.
Two and half years later on September 4, 2018, three persons were killed and 24 were injured after a portion of an over-50-year-old Majerhat bridge caved in following heavy rainfall in the city. PTI SCH KK KK KK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.