Morbi (Gujarat): The Morbi bridge collapse tragedy in Gujarat that led to the death of 134 people with many still missing has not only raised questions on the technical expertise of the company responsible for maintaining and upkeeping the bridge but also exposed the dark underbelly of the state’s local administration.
The contract papers signed on March 27 between Morbi Municipality and Oreva, a company that had no experience in bridge maintenance or construction work, agreed to renovate the suspension bridge within eight (8) to twelve (12) months before throwing it open to the public. However, for reasons unknown, the reopening was expedited and the bridge was reopened for the public on October 26, just seven months after the contract was formalised.
Oreva group specialises in CFL bulbs, wall clocks and e-bikes and it is not known how it managed to get the contract to maintain an over 100-year-old bridge. Founded by Odhavji Raghavji Patel nearly five decades back, the firm manufactures wall clocks under the popular Ajanta and Orpat brands.
Though the company’s representatives were not ready to comment, a senior officer of Morbi Municipality admitted that the bridge did not have the ‘fitness certificate’ when it was thrown open to the public.
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“This bridge was in dilapidated condition and was not opened to the public. When this incident occurred, the bridge was closed. The Oreva Group of Companies was commissioned to refurbish the bridge. The company showed readiness to repair. The meeting of the officers of the company was held with Morbi Collector.
The ticket rate was fixed. An agreement was also made for this matter. The bridge was given for renovation for 15 years. The process of repairing this bridge was also started. Currently, it is not known, to my knowledge, how the bridge was damaged, what type of material was used in this repair,” Sandipsingh Jhala, chief officer of the Morbi Municipality told ETV Bharat.
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Vatsal Patel, president of the Gujarat Institute of Civil Engineers and Architects, told ETV Bharat that fitness certifications must be obtained if there are rides in any building, bridge, or amusement park.
"The municipal corporation, municipality, or R&D department of the state examines the entire construction from a variety of angles. Materials, tests, non-discriminatory tests, and documentation are all verified. The fitness certificate is only then given out after that," he said.
There are more questions that remain unanswered. The contract document accessed by ETV Bharat also shows that Oreva Group was given the responsibility of upkeep as well as operating the Morbi suspension bridge. It is strange that a company that had no previous track record of maintaining any bridges was given the responsibility of upkeeping this nearly century-old structure. The maintenance period was fixed from March 2022 to 2037.
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It is estimated that the bridge capacity was only 100 persons. However, at the time of the incident, about 400 to 500 people were on the bridge. Asked why the responsibility was given to a company that didn’t have any track record, the Morbi Municipality officer said, “There were more people than the bearing capacity and so this has happened. There was no check and balance. People purchased tickets and went on the bridge. The bridge could not bear the weight and collapsed."
"It was a specialized suspension bridge that needed a special kind of renovation technique. The municipality had a contract with a private company. The company had outsourced this work to a private contractor. We have requested records from the company. But no officer of the company is in contact," the officer said.
It was also mentioned in the agreement that the company will have to bear all the expenses regarding renovation and upkeep of the bridge and it will be thrown open for the public after finishing the maintenance work. The deal also hinted that it will take eight to ten months to give a facelift to the bridge. But it was opened to the public much before the completion of renovation work.
Ashok Yadav, IG Morbi Range said the police have filed an FIR and serious measures will be taken against those guilty. The FIR has been registered on charges of culpable homicide and nine persons including the officials of Oreva, ticket sellers, and security men have been arrested.
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Interestingly, the company profile of Morbi-based Oreva Group (Ajanta Manufacturing Pvt Ltd), which also makes e-bikes shows that it is a manufacturing unit of clocks. The founder of the company late Odhavji Patel was called the ‘Father of Clocks’. It has businesses in 45 countries and employs 7,000 people. Ajanta Group also makes power-saving compact fluorescent lamps, clay-thrown vitrified tiles, and harvest water to farmers.
The 230-meter historic Morbi suspension bridge was first inaugurated on February 20, 1879, by then-Mumbai Governor Richard Temple. The bridge was constructed on the lines of Jhulas (hanging bridge) on the Ganga river in Uttarakhand. Morbi’s former ruler, inspired by the British, built the bridge to reflect the progressive and scientific nature of the rulers of Morbi in 1922.
