Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today informed the Parliament that around 100 bridges in different parts of India are on the verge of collapse and they require immediate attention.
Answering a question during “Question Hour” in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari said that his ministry has completed safety audit of 1.6 lakh bridges in the country and found more than 100 structures to be in dilapidated condition.
“100 bridges can collapse anytime and they need immediate attention,” Gadkari told Lok Sabha.
Expressing concern over the condition of these bridges, the minister referred to last year’s tragic incident in the Konkan region where two state-run buses and some private vehicles were swept away after a British-era bridge over the Savitri river collapsed.
Nitin Gadkari said that his ministry had last year launched a special project to create data of all bridges and culverts in the country as part of the steps to avert mishaps.
The minister clarified that the delay in works on various road projects was mainly because of issues related to land acquisition, encroachment and environmental clearance.
Gadkari revealed that road projects worth Rs 3.85 lakh crore were delayed due to various reasons in the past but he added that most of these issues were resolved and their works are in progress now.
