“Collapse of Confidence: Gujarat’s Gambhira Bridge and India’s Crumbling Infrastructure”

“Collapse of Confidence: Gujarat’s Gambhira Bridge and India’s Crumbling Infrastructure”

“Collapse of Confidence: Gujarat’s Gambhira Bridge and India’s Crumbling Infrastructure”

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🏗️ Bridges of Collapse: India’s Infrastructure Wake-Up Call | UPSC Insight

📌 Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Major Bridge Collapse Incidents in India
  3. Causes of Bridge Collapses
  4. Impact: Human, Economic & Governance
  5. Government Response and Reforms
  6. UPSC Relevance (GS2/GS3 + Essay Angle)
  7. Conclusion
  8. Gujarat’s Gambhira Bridge

🧭 1. Introduction Gujarat’s Gambhira Bridge

Bridges symbolize progress and connectivity — yet in India, collapsing bridges have become a haunting symbol of negligence. From the Morbi disaster of 2022 to the Gambhira bridge collapse in July 2025, recurring failures raise urgent questions about public safety, infrastructure governance, and accountability.


🧨 2. Major Bridge Collapse Incidents in India (Recent Examples)

📅 Date📍 Location⚠️ Incident💥 Casualties
Nov 2022Morbi, GujaratSuspension bridge collapsed due to overload and poor maintenance135+ dead
July 2025Gambhira, VadodaraSlab collapsed, vehicles fell into river10+ dead, many injured
June 2024Bihar, Aguwani-SultanganjUnder-construction bridge collapsed over GangaNo deaths, major delay
Jan 2023Kolkata (Majerhat Bridge)Partial collapse due to structural fatigueSeveral injured
Oct 2023Pune, MaharashtraBridge cracked due to poor construction qualityNo casualties

🛠️ 3. Why Are Bridges Collapsing in India? (Causes)

CauseDescription
🔧 Poor MaintenanceAging bridges lack regular inspections or retrofitting.
📏 Design FlawsSubstandard or outdated designs not suited for current traffic load.
🧱 Construction CorruptionUse of low-quality materials and delayed execution.
🌧️ Climate & MonsoonsHeavy rainfall, floods weaken foundational supports.
🚧 Overload & MisuseBridges often bear loads far beyond their capacity.

💣 4. Impact of Bridge Collapses

  • Human Cost: Loss of lives, long-term injuries.
  • Economic Loss: Trade routes disrupted; delays in logistics.
  • Governance Crisis: Erodes public trust in civic bodies.
  • Environmental: River and aquatic damage, debris pollution.

🧠 5. Government Response & Reforms

InitiativeDetails
🏗️ Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS)Digital registry of 1.5 lakh+ bridges, their health reports.
👷 Bridge Inspection TeamsMandated in most states post-Morbi.
🧾 Audit GuidelinesSupreme Court and NHAI issued stricter norms.
🛡️ Disaster Insurance & CompensationPM Relief Fund, ex-gratia disbursements after incidents.

📚 6. UPSC Relevance Gujarat’s Gambhira Bridge

GS Paper 2 (Governance)

  • Accountability of civic bodies, administrative lapses
  • Disaster response mechanisms

GS Paper 3 (Infrastructure)

  • Quality of Public Infrastructure
  • PPP projects and urban planning

Essay Paper Topics

  • “Infrastructure without Integrity is a Disaster in Waiting”
  • “Bridges: Symbols of Progress or Negligence?”

Ethics (GS Paper 4)

  • Ethics of public service, duty to protect lives
  • Corruption & transparency in public contracts

🔚 7. Conclusion:

India needs not just more bridges — but safe, smart, and sustainable ones. Each collapse is a tragic reminder that infrastructure is not just about concrete but about commitment to life and accountability. As future policymakers, UPSC aspirants must understand that development without safety is regression.

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Disaster Management (UPSC Mains) – Previous Year Questions

2022

  1. Explain the mechanism and occurrence of cloudbursts in the context of the Indian subcontinent. Discuss two recent examples.

2021

  1. Discuss about the vulnerability of India to earthquake related hazards. Give examples including the salient features of major disasters caused by earthquakes in different parts of India during the last three decades.
  2. Describe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important components of the National Landslip Risk Management Strategy.

2020

  1. Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach.

2019

  1. Vulnerability is an essential element for defining disaster impacts and its threat to people. How and in what ways can vulnerability to disasters be characterized? Discuss different types of vulnerability with reference to disasters.
  2. Disaster preparedness is the first step in any disaster management process. Explain how hazard zonation mapping will help disaster mitigation in the case of landslides.

2018

  1. Describe various measures taken in India for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) before and after signing ‘Sendai Framework for DRR (2015-2030)’. How is this framework different from ‘Hyogo Framework for Action, 2005’?

2017

  1. On December 2004, tsumani brought havoc on 14 countries including India. Discuss the factors responsible for occurrence of Tsunami and its effects on life and economy. In the light of guidelines of NDMA (2010) describe the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events.

2016

  1. The frequency of urban floods due to high intensity rainfall is increasing over the years. Discussing the reasons for urban floods, highlight the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events.
  2. With reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines, discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand.

2015

  1. The frequency of earthquakes appears to have increased in the Indian subcontinent. However, India’s preparedness for mitigating their impact has significant gaps. Discuss various aspects.

2014

  1. Drought has been recognized as a disaster in view of its spatial expense, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effect on various vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 guidelines from the National disaster management authority, discuss the mechanism for preparedness to deal with the El Nino and La Nina fallouts in India.

2013

  1. How important are vulnerability and risk assessment for pre-disaster management. As an administrator, what are key areas that you would focus in a disaster management.
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