Arappor seeks probe into Tiruvannamalai bridge collapse
The bridge collapsed within a period of 3 months of its opening
CHENNAI: Arappor Iyakkam has demanded Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Vigilance (DVAC) file an FIR against officials and contractors responsible for the collapse and washout of a newly constructed State Highway bridge across Thenpennai river between Agarampallipattu and Thondamannur in Tiruvannamalai district.
"The bridge collapsed within 3 months of its opening. The newly constructed bridge at a cost of around Rs 16 Crores was opened only on September 2, 2024. It toppled and collapsed when heavy rains lashed during Cyclone Fengal on December 3, 2024," Jayaram Venkatesan, convener of the anti-graft organisation, said in a complaint to DVAC.
The complaint added that Arappor Iyakkam is shocked to find that there has been no FIR or investigation or accountability into the bridge collapse, even after 6 months of its occurrence, and there seems to be a blatant
attempt to cover up the corruption and maladministration in the construction of the bridge.
He pointed out the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Indian Road Congress guidelines mandate a life for bridge structures, excluding ancillary items like bearings and expansion joints, as 100 years. The return period for design discharge (maximum flood discharge) for computing the waterway and length of the bridge is also based on a minimum of 100 years.
Therefore, the life of a Reinforced Concrete Bridge is 100 years. It is shocking to know the bridge collapsed in a period of 3 months, showing serious defects in either design or implementation or both, he added.
"It could be seen that the bridge was constructed in a bend across the Thenpennai river. The bend is also acknowledged in the tender document. This means that the forces of the water are going to be different at the bend compared to other places," he said.
While the new bridge collapsed, the upstream bridge at Rayandapuram and the downstream bridges are all intact, showing that there are serious lapses that could have happened in both the design as well as implementation of the construction of the high-level collapsed bridge, the complaint said.
Jayaram Venkatesan urged the DVAC to file an FIR against the officials and contractors, apart from recovering the money lost due to the corruption from the persons involved.
