Gujarat bridge collapse: IRF calls for regular monitoring, maintenance of infrastructures

New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) The International Road Federation (IRF) on Thursday expressed concern over the collapse of a section of the Gambhira bridge in Gujarat, resulting in the loss of lives.

The Geneva-based global road safety body stressed the need for regular monitoring and maintenance of bridges and other vital infrastructure in the country.

As many as 13 people died during the bridge collapse at Gambhira in Gujarat on Wednesday.

IRF President Emeritus K K Kapila said the natural environment is harsh and corrosive to bridges, regardless of the type of material, quality of construction, or means of erection.

"Regular use of these structures further accelerates their deterioration. Concerned authorities, including civil and structural engineers, must conduct regular assessments of bridge elements to establish conditions and then address critical defects to preserve the safety and integrity of bridges," Kapila said.

He said managing vital assets for maximising service life and serviceability demands innovative and modern technologies.

IRF India chapter president Akhilesh Srivastava said innovations in terms of instrumentation, data analysis, and artificial intelligence offer great potential for the monitoring and maintenance of infrastructures, as a complement to traditional visual inspection methods.

Three people were killed and five others rescued after several vehicles fell into a river when the portion of a four-decade-old bridge collapsed in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Wednesday morning.

Five to six vehicles fell into the Mahisagar river after a slab of the Gambhira bridge, located on the river which connects central Gujarat and Saurashtra regions of the state, collapsed, Gujarat's Health Minister Rushikesh Patel had said. PTI BKS BKS DR DR SHW