Gambhira-Mujpur Bridge Collapse

A section of the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge in Gujarat’s Vadodara district collapsed on July 10, 2025, killing 11 people and injuring several, raising concerns over structural safety and administrative negligence.

Man-Made Disasters:

• Man-Made Disaster refers to catastrophic events caused directly or indirectly due to human action, negligence, intent, or failure of systems.
• Distinguished from natural disasters, which result from natural hazards (e.g., floods, earthquakes).

Examples include:

• Industrial/chemical accidents (e.g., Bhopal Gas Tragedy)
• Fires and explosions (e.g., Mundka fire, 2022)
• Structural failures (e.g., Gambhira-Mujpur bridge Collapse, 2025)
• Transport accidents (rail, aviation, maritime)
• Biological/chemical threats and warfare
• Cyber-attacks and data breaches
• Terrorism and armed conflicts

Factors Contributing to Poor State of Public Infrastructure in India

• Administrative Inefficiency and Corruption:
  • Poor governance leads to the use of sub-standard materials, lack of compliance with engineering design codes, and minimal on-site supervision.
  • Absence of accountability mechanisms fuels systemic corruption, affecting quality.
• L1 Contract Bidding Method (Lowest Bidder):
  • The “L1 approach” awards infrastructure contracts to the lowest financial bidder, often disregarding technical competence, past performance, or quality standards.
  • This incentivizes cost-cutting on materials and labour.
  • Example: Collapse of the Morbi suspension bridge (2022), awarded to a private firm lacking adequate expertise, despite safety concerns.
• Inadequate Infrastructure Funding:
  • As per CRISIL estimates, India needs 7–8% of GDP annually in infrastructure investment, but actual investment remains at only 4.6%.
  • This results in delayed projects, maintenance backlogs, and dependence on Public-Private Partnerships.
• Poor and Infrequent Safety Audits:
  • Many structures collapse despite passing technical and safety audits, indicating either incompetence or compromise in auditing procedures.
  • Safety audits are often not mandatory or carried out by the executing agency itself, posing a conflict of interest.
• Other Structural Factors:
  • Demand-supply mismatch: Rapid urbanization and industrialization have outpaced infrastructure creation.
  • Environmental/geographical causes: Climate extremes such as floods, erosion, and high seismic activity threaten structural integrity.

Measures Required to Address Infrastructure Challenges

• Benchmarking Infrastructure Capacity and Quality:
  • Regular audits of infrastructure performance both in physical and qualitative terms must be made mandatory.
  • Create dashboards and indices at national/state level to track underperforming assets.
• Mandatory Adoption of Quality cum Cost Based Selection (QCBS):
  • QCBS balances technical expertise and cost while awarding contracts, leading to better long-term outcomes.
  • Reduces the risk of substandard execution under L1 model.
• Independent, Periodic Safety Audits:
  • Must be conducted by third-party expert agencies, separate from implementing or operating entities.
  • Should include structural health monitoring using sensor-based technologies, especially for old bridges, dams, etc.

Key Government Initiatives to Boost Infrastructure Development

• National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF):
  • A sovereign wealth fund created to attract foreign and domestic institutional investment into commercially viable infrastructure projects.
  • Operates via master funds, sector-specific funds, and strategic partnerships.
• National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP):
  • Targets INR 111 lakh crore investments across sectors like energy, roads, railways, and urban infrastructure from 2020 to 2025.
  • Involves both Centre, States, and private sector, with emphasis on prioritized project identification and real-time tracking via Project Monitoring Group (PMG).
• India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd. (IIFCL):
  • A wholly government-owned NBFC under Ministry of Finance.
  • Provides long-term debt financing to PPP and other infrastructure projects to improve financial viability.
• Viability Gap Funding (VGF):
  • Used to make unviable but socially necessary projects feasible, especially in rural or remote regions.
  • Example: UDAN scheme under civil aviation for regional air connectivity.
• New Public-Private Partnership Models (e.g., Hybrid Annuity Model - HAM):
  • Combines EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) and BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) models.
  • Government bears 40% upfront cost, reducing private player’s risk and encouraging participation.