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Maharashtra has 35K bridges and their upkeep poses nightmarish challenge

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4 years ago

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Maharashtra has a stupendous 35,000-plus big and small bridges on roads in village, towns, cities, state or national highways, posing mind-boggling challenges for their regular upkeep and maintenance, with multiple agencies involved, but recording barely 100 structures crashing since 2000, top officials said.

As per government data, under the state’s Public Works Department (PWD) jurisdiction, there are 146 small, 105 big and five long bridges (total 256) from the pre-Independence era, some dating back to over 350 years and still functional.

In the post-Independence era, the state recorded massive development since 1957, with around 16,000 small, 2100 big and 100 long (total 18,200) bridges being constructed.

Besides, there are some 12,000, including 2,000 major bridges, on the national highways crisscrossing the state, an estimated 4,000 (total 16,000) in various civic bodies’ jurisdictions, like some 450-odd in Mumbai, not counting another huge number of bridges on the railway networks.

Despite the huge numbers of bridges, in the past 22 years, barely around 100 medium or small have crashed – 75 percent of them comprising masonry design and the rest raft design – in different parts of the state.

The worst crash was the washout of 106-year-old British-era masonry bridge on the heavily-flooded Savitri River near Mahad in Ratnagiri on August 2, 2016, which swept away two ST buses and around 10 other private vehicles with the death toll touching 40.

There have been other smaller crashes in Mumbai and other parts of the state in the past two decades though with lesser casualties or fatalities.

As per Indian Road Congress (IRC) norms, a “small bridge” spans 06-60 metres, a “big bridge” is 60-200 metres and a “long bridge” is 200 metres plus and can go upto a few kms in length, each posing unique challenges for their upkeep and safety.

These bridges comprise a variety of designs, architecture styles and materials depending on their location, whether linking hills, mountains, passing over rivers, streams, drains (nullah), creeks, the sea (the Rajiv Gandhi Bandra Worli Sea Link or the upcoming Mumbai Trans Harbour Link), flyovers, road over-bridge, foot over-bridge, etc.

“There are prescribed SOPs for checks, routine, pre-monsoon and post-monsoon maintenance for all bridges, but with a staff of around 5,000, its possible to cover only around 35 per cent of the bridges in a year,” revealed a senior PWD officer, requesting anonymity.

As per the SOPs, any initial complaints go to the concerned local PWD office which sends out teams to inspect, and if there are serious problems, specialised team with experts from within and outside (like IITs, IIE, etc.) examine it scientifically, said the officer, who has personally inspected around 1,000 bridges in the past two decades in some of the most hazardous terrain.

Then, the cumbersome work of making reports, proposals, budget estimates, sourcing the funds, setting the time-frame, etc, takes place, and again depending on the urgency of the work, it may or may not be prioritised as paucity of finance remains the biggest hurdle.

A former PWD Chief Engineer of Bridges had suggested to the state government and Union Minister for Roads & Highways Nitin Gadkari to rope in the 30,000 students from civil engineering colleges studying in their two final years to help in the inspection works.

“They can form a part of the local PWD inspection teams and theoretically can inspect all the 35,000-bridges in the state in just a couple of days. This exercise can be done twice a year to reveal all the maintenance flaws and potential risks to any structure,” he said.

The students would be guided by the PWD experts, and it would have proved an invaluable academic field exercise with some incentives like grace marks or extra grades in their exams, etc, but there was no movement on his suggestion, rued the ex-CE.

Prescribing a regular “good health check-up” for all bridges, especially the old ones, a senior Highway Department officer appreciated the Indian Railways for their “constant vigil and dedicated teams carrying out daily, weekly, monthly inspections or biannual surveys of all their bridges” to ensure safety of the hundreds of trains hurtling around the country with passengers and cargo.

“Unfortunately, this zest is severely lacking among the states’ PWDs and virtually non-existent for the national highways authority, though the local civic bodies barely pass out on this count,” the officer said.

Touching on the Savitri River bridge crash, the PWD officer said it was nicknamed a “green bridge” as its fa�ade was completely covered with shrubs, bushes, creepers and small plants – but spelling a “red alert” from the safety aspect.

“Such overgrowth is rarely taken into account, another lurking danger is the dredging of sand from the water-bed in the vicinity, blatantly violating norms which weaken the bridge foundations and make it prone to a crash, overloading during peak hours which hasten the wear-and-tear, allowing vehicles to ply even when the flood levels touch or cross the red level marks, as it happened in the Savitri River case,” he said.

Officers from the Highways Department, PWD, civic bodies and others ruled that “unless regular inspection and maintenance” is carried out for all bridges – majority are already over 40-50 years old – there can be repetitions of the recent Morbi (141 dead) or the 2003 Daman & Diu (26 dead) type tragedies, with more risks added as new bridges come up practically every month in the massive expansion of the roads and railways in the country.

The inspection tasks are now considerably easier with the applications of computers, drones, satellites or other modern gadgets to scan the bridge health without physical presence, though the latest technological advancements come at a high price and are deployed on hardly one percent of all the structures in the state, the officials said.

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Maharashtra

Political rift deepens over Ajit Pawar plane crash probe as Rohit Pawar targets NCP MLAs over ‘self respect’

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4 hours ago

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September 4, 2026

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Mumbai, Sep 4: The political crossfire surrounding the probe into former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s fatal plane crash intensified on Friday, as Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar launched a sharp attack on the ruling MahaYuti government and targeted the 40 MLAs belonging to the rival NCP faction.

Questioning the political leverage and intent of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction within the MahaYuti coalition government, Rohit Pawar criticised their inability to secure a formal investigation despite writing to their own administration.

“40 MLAs from Ajit Pawar’s party (NCP) had demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the crash, and they even had to send a reminder letter for it. It is unfortunate that even after sending a reminder to your own government, it gets thrown into the dustbin,” the NCP-SP MLA said while addressing the media.

“If these people had any self-respect, they would have walked out of power immediately. Not everyone possesses self-respect; you have to struggle to maintain it, and that is precisely what we are doing.”

The fresh barrage comes a day after current Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Sunetra Pawar responded to concerns raised by NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule over the non-registration of a formal First Information Report (FIR).

Sunetra Pawar had cautioned against politicising the tragedy, saying that the Pawar family and the NCP-SP maintained “full faith in the investigating agencies”.

Sule had earlier mounted a scathing attack on the state government over official apathy, contrasting the swift law-and-order actions taken against political leaders like Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena Chief Amit Thackeray, with the lack of progress in registering an FIR for her late brother’s fatal crash.

Reiterating his family and personal ties to the late NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Rohit Pawar emphasised that his demand for a rigorous inquiry was rooted in both family duty and public interest.

NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar said, “I am a member of the Pawar family. My surname is Pawar, and the person who passed away was my uncle. As a nephew, it is my effort to see that justice is served to him.

“When a major leader of the state dies under such circumstances, millions of people across Maharashtra, including myself, want a proper investigation. Unfortunately, those in the (MahaYuti) government who called (Ajit Pawar) ‘Dada’ their friend have still failed to deliver justice.”

He also accused the state administration of ignoring their repeated efforts to register a case locally.

“We visited three different places in the state to file an FIR regarding the accident, but no attention was paid to us,” he alleged, warning that “if an FIR in this matter ends up being registered in Karnataka instead, the state (Maharashtra) government should feel ashamed”.

While Rohit Pawar said that he postponed a scheduled press conference where he intended to present new evidence due to additional incoming details, his remarks underscore a growing verbal feud between the rival factions of the Pawar family and the MahaYuti coalition government.

With opposition leaders pledging to take the fight forward independently, the political manoeuvering over the investigation shows no signs of abating.

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Business

Pune poised to become India GCC capital, says Maha CM

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4 hours ago

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September 4, 2026

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Pune, Sep 4: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said Pune is rapidly emerging as the country’s leading hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), with more than 130 centres currently operational and the number expected to cross 800 in the coming years.

He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to positioning Pune as the preferred destination for GCC investments in India. The Chief Minister was speaking at the inauguration of Magnum Ice Cream Company’s Global Business Solutions Centre.

Highlighting that Maharashtra has emerged as the preferred investment hub for Global Capability Centers in India, CM Fadnavis noted that the enthusiastic response from multinational corporations establishing global business centers in Pune is a testament to the city’s business-friendly environment and skilled talent pool.

The Chief Minister explained that Magnum’s Pune centre will generate more than 1,000 direct job opportunities alongside boosting indirect employment. To optimise the company’s global business operations, the facility will integrate artificial intelligence, automated technologies, logistics, and other advanced solutions to streamline manufacturing, distribution, and customer experience operations.

“When the government and the industry collaborate, it creates a robust ecosystem that accelerates investment, job creation, and overall economic growth. The state government remains committed to providing all necessary support and a conducive climate for businesses investing in Maharashtra,” he stated.

He further added that this Global Business Solutions Centre in Pune, operating alongside the regional headquarters in Mumbai, will chart a new direction for Magnum’s expansion in Maharashtra. Active measures are being taken to strengthen physical infrastructure across Pune’s industrial sectors — with a special focus on resolving IT infrastructure challenges in Hinjawadi — to make the region an even more attractive destination for GCCs.

Industry department principal secretary Dr P. Anbalagan noted that Global Capability Centres are not merely office spaces, but crucial engines driving the nation’s economic momentum. India has established itself as a global leader in the GCC space, with Maharashtra and Pune playing a pivotal role in this expansion. In Pune alone, demand for commercial office space by GCCs reached approximately 6 million square feet over the past 15 months, while 130 new or expanded GCC units were set up across the state over the last 18 months.

He added that the state government has set a target of hosting 400 GCC companies and over 700 units in the coming period. Currently, Pune hosts operations from companies representing over 30 countries across 20 sectors, employing nearly 10,000 professionals.

Investment and Policy Advisor to the CM, Kaustubh Dhavse, remarked that the relationship between Magnum Ice Cream Company and the Government of Maharashtra is built on trust, reliability, and mutual respect. He added that the Indian-origin executive leadership steering the company globally brings inspiring experience.

In his opening address, Abhijit Bhattacharya, CFO of Magnum Ice Cream Company, credited the state government’s rapid decision-making process for making the global business centre a reality in a short time frame.

He cited Maharashtra’s robust industrial ecosystem, superior connectivity, and proactive administration as key factors in selecting Pune.

Bhattacharya commended CM Fadnavis’s vision to make Maharashtra a premier hub for global business centres and expressed the company’s intent to collaborate with the state on sustainable dairy systems, while also bringing the global ice cream brand ‘Ben & Jerry’s’ to India.

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Maharashtra

Five arrested for tampering with taxi and auto-rickshaw fare meters in Mumbai, cheating passengers financially and installing fake technical devices in the meters.

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5 hours ago

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September 4, 2026

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Mumbai: On September 2, around 8 am, Police Constable Nilesh Salunke received information from his informant that many rickshaw and taxi drivers in Dahisar area were using a device in their meters to artificially increase the fares and were robbing passengers. The information was passed on to the seniors who confirmed the matter and ordered further action.

To verify this, on September 1, a fake passenger was sent for a journey in taxi number MH 01 CJ 6487. The taxi driver concerned had covered his fare meter. And due to his suspicious activities, the taxi driver was detained along with the taxi and after writing to the Regional Transport Department, Borivali Kandivali, Dahisar East Mumbai, the said taxi was examined by them and it was found that the electronic running circuit device in the taxi fare meter was illegally tampered with by connecting wires and through this, the common passengers were cheated by increasing the artificial fare. In this regard, when further investigation was done, it was installed in taxi number MH 01 CJ 6487 by Islam Nama Amin Ramzan Pathan, age 31 years, profession – Rickshaw Driver / Electrician. When he was taken into confidence and questioned, it was found that the electronic running circuit device in the fare meter in 04 more taxis / rickshaws was illegally tampered with by connecting wires. In this regard, a case has been registered at Dahisar Police Station under Section 1293/26, Section 318 (4) of the Indian Penal Code – 2023 and Sections 33, 35 and Section 145 (a) of the MV Act. Here near Gokul Anand Hotel, Ashok One, Dahisar East, Mumbai Taxi/Rickshaw seized for tampering with fare meter Maruti Suzuki Company black yellow taxi number MH01CJ6487 Bajaj Company black yellow rickshaw number MH02DU0777 Bajaj Company black yellow rickshaw number MH03BY4268 Maruti Suzuki Company black yellow taxi number MH02BQ7392, Maruti Artica Cool Cab MH-01-EM-604 Seized goods
(Used for tampering with fare meter) Electronic running circuit along with it of accused
1) Zaheb Altaf Deshmukh Age – 32 years
2) Amin Ramzan Pathan Age – 31 years
3) Riaz Abdul Ghani Sheikh Age – 45 years
4) Nazir Ibrahim Patel Age – 57 years
5) Anand Kumar Nanak Prasad Rai Age – 60 years Action taken against Along with this, the accused have been arrested and further investigation is underway.

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