Government orders inspection of all old bridges

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday said that it has ordered inspection of all old bridges after the collapse of Mahad Bridge in Maharashtra.

"NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) has asked its field units to get all old bridges under its jurisdiction inspected through Project Director/Independent Engineer/ DPR Consultants for their fitness," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.

The ministry clarified that Mahad Bridge in Maharashtra was not under the jurisdiction of NHAI. 

"Responding with extreme sensitivity to the collapse of Mahad Bridge and as explained earlier in various forums, it is again clarified that the collapsed bridge is not under the jurisdiction of NHAI," the statement added.

The instruction from the ministry has come on the heels of the collapse of Mahad Bridge on August 3, 2016. 

The tragedy has resulted in 21 deaths. 

The British era bridge had caved in last Wednesday in Raigad District of Maharashtra making the government launch a massive hunt of the victims on “land, river, creek and the Arabian Sea”.