90 Degree Turn On Flyover: Government Suspends 7 Engineers
Bhopal has been in the news for the last couple of weeks after images and videos of a railway overbridge went viral online. The bridge was constructed at a very odd angle, which received a lot of criticism from users and netizens. Finally, the Bhopal government has decided to step in and take action. The government has now suspended seven engineers, including two chief engineers of the Public Works Department, for the 'faulty design' of the new Rail Overbridge in the Aishbagh area. The bridge went viral because of its unusual 90-degree turn.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav posted on X, “I took cognisance of the serious negligence in the construction of the Aishbagh ROB and ordered an inquiry. On the basis of the inquiry report, action has been taken against eight PWD engineers.”
Seven engineers, including two chief engineers, have been suspended with immediate effect, and a departmental inquiry has also been ordered against a retired superintendent engineer.
The engineers against whom action was taken for the alleged faulty design were: Chief Engineers Sanjay Khande and G. P. Verma; In-charge Executive Engineer Javed Shakeel; In-charge Sub-Divisional Officer Ravi Shukla; Sub-Engineer Umashankar Mishra; Assistant Engineer Shanul Saxena; In-charge Executive Engineer Shabana Rajjaq; and retired Superintendent Engineer M. P. Singh, said PWD Additional Chief Secretary Neeraj Mandloi.
Apart from this, the government has also blacklisted the construction agency and the design consultant. A committee has been formed to make necessary changes or improvements to the railway overbridge.
The Chief Minister also added that the bridge would only be officially inaugurated after the improvements are made. The railway overbridge in question here is actually a great example of how social media can be used to ensure that the concerned authorities become aware of such issues.
Soon after the image of the almost 90-degree turn on the railway overbridge surfaced online, many people picked it up and started creating content around it. We came across several memes on social media, and under each of these posts, we saw the sentiments of the common man, whose tax money was used for this project.
Many locals also came forward and questioned how motorists are going to utilise this bridge with a 90-degree turn in it. The construction cost of this 648-meter Railway Overbridge was ₹18 crore, and it was meant to improve connectivity between Mahamai Ka Bagh, Pushpa Nagar, and the station area with New Bhopal. This single project was supposed to help around 3 lakh people.
A committee was formed by the PWD last week to find a solution to this 90-degree bridge issue. The officials involved in the construction argued that the reason they were forced to come up with such a design was due to the scarcity of land and the presence of a metro rail station nearby.
The officials even mentioned that if a little extra land is made available, the 90-degree angle can be converted into a curve. However, buying land and making changes simply means more money, more time, and a delay in the inauguration of the bridge. The common man will have to suffer until then.