THE FESTIVE SPIRIT OF DIWALI ENDED ON A horrifying note in Gujarat as a suspension bridge across the Machchhu river in Morbi town collapsed on October 30, killing at least 134 people and injuring many more. Coming just ahead of the expected announcement of the assembly election schedule, the timing, location and context of the tragedy portend ill tidings for the ruling BJP. Even though both its main rivals-the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress-refrained from starting a war of words until rescue operations were over, the subtext of the accident hung heavy in the air. The angst provoked by the tragedy will likely have a significant impact on the crucial election.
But first the horrible disaster demands a fixing of the culpability on several fronts. The bridge was thrown open to the public without a safety audit by the Morbi municipality, which had given the contract of maintaining and repairing it with no mention of such audit requirements to the Oreva Group, makers of the Ajanta brand of wall clocks. When asked, Morbi municipality chief Sandeepsinh Jhala said the bridge had been reopened without their permission. After its inauguration by Oreva chairman Jaysukh Patel, the bridge was used for four full days, before it collapsed. It is not known why the municipality officials made no attempt to shut it down for not having a safety certificate.
The nine persons arrested in the wake of the disaster so far include two managers and two ticket clerks on Oreva's payroll, as well as two contractors (responsible for repairing the bridge) and three
Denne historien er fra November 14, 2022-utgaven av India Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 14, 2022-utgaven av India Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Shuttle Star
Ashwini Ponnappa was the only Indian to compete in the inaugural edition of BDMNTN-XL, a new international badminton tourney with a new format, held in Indonesia
There's No Planet B
All Living Things-Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) returns with 72 films to be screened across multiple locations from Nov. 22 to Dec. 8
AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED
THE MAHINDRA INDEPENDENCE ROCK FESTIVAL PROMISES AN INTERESTING LINE-UP OF OLD AND NEW ACTS, CEMENTING ITS REPUTATION AS THE 'WOODSTOCK OF INDIA'
A Musical Marriage
Faezeh Jalali has returned to the Prithvi Theatre Festival with Runaway Brides, a hilarious musical about Indian weddings
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
Nikhil Advani’s adaptation of Freedom at Midnight details our tumultuous transition to an independent nation
Family Saga
RAMONA SEN's The Lady on the Horse doesn't lose its pace while narrating the story of five generations of a family in Calcutta
THE ETERNAL MOTHER
Prayaag Akbar's new novel delves into the complexities of contemporary India
TURNING A NEW LEAF
Since the turn of the century, we have lost hundreds of thousands of trees. Many had stood for centuries, weathering storms, wars, droughts and famines.
INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART
Ramachandra Guha's new book-Speaking with Nature-is a chronicle of homegrown environmentalism that speaks to the world
A NEW LEASE FOR OLD FILMS
NOSTALGIA AND CURIOSITY BRING AUDIENCES BACK TO THE THEATRES TO REVISIT MOVIES OF THE YESTERYEARS
