The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Muslim Jung bridge repairs to cost more

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 08, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Muslim Jung bridge repairs to cost more

Experts say the basic design is faulty

Cracks noticed days before the bridge was to be opened
Officials realised that it could not take vehicular load

HYDERABAD: It now turns out that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) would have to shell out more than Rs. 70 lakh for ensuring that the new Muslim Jung Bridge across River Musi becomes functional. About Rs. 7 crore has already been sunk into the project over the last decade.

Cracks on the bridge was noticed last year, days before it was to be inaugurated and several technical experts have been unanimous in their opinion that the basic design itself was faulty.

Initially, it was thought that strengthening the badly constructed pillars between five and nine would be sufficient for the restoration work as the cantilever cracks were noticed. It was estimated to cost up to Rs. 40 lakh.

Major lapse

But later to the utter shock, officials have realised that the entire bridge could not take vehicular load at all. Although, it was not made public, even the high powered technical committee headed by R&B Chief Engineer Siva Reddy, is said to have pointed out to the major lapse.

This lapse had escaped the attention of both technical consultants and supervising engineers during construction taken up in two stages by two different contractors – NBCC and P. Narasimha Rao & Company. While asking Mr. Siva Reddy to probe into the cracks that had surfaced, the civic body had engaged two private agencies to suggest appropriate and restoration work.

Civil Aid and Stup Consultants, both Bangalore-based, had submitted their reports few days ago. They felt that the bridge could be repaired and suggested strengthening by more pillars and girders than just the last five pillars where the cracks were noticed. The GHMC had already spent Rs. 5 lakh on minor repairs and if past record is anything to go by it could well be bearing a major part of the entire repair cost.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh