Hatkeshwar Bridge Row: AMC Moves To Dismiss Former Assistant City Engineer Manoj Solanki Over Gross Negligence

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has taken decisive disciplinary action in the notorious Hatkeshwar Bridge controversy, ordering the dismissal of former Assistant City Engineer Manojkumar Solanki following a detailed vigilance and departmental inquiry.

The decision, which marks a severe crackdown on administrative lapses that dealt a heavy blow to the civic body's reputation, now awaits formal approval from the AMC Standing Committee and Board.

The probe pinned direct responsibility on Solanki for failing to supervise construction quality, colluding with key agencies, and attempting to cover up structural defects that eventually rendered the bridge unsafe for public use.

Compromised Quality Control And Ignored Protocols

The vigilance investigation uncovered glaring irregularities dating back to 2017, when the Hatkeshwar bridge was under construction. According to inquiry findings, Solanki and his subordinate staff failed to exercise effective supervision over the material quality and completely ignored mandatory concrete mixer cube tests.

Rather than enforcing strict compliance against the contractor, Ajay Engineering Infrastructure Private Limited, and the Project Management Consultant (PMC), officials turned a blind eye to fundamental safety violations.

Key findings from the vigilance report include:

• Falsified and Incomplete Records: While the PMC's Quality Assurance Plan bore signatures from the contractor and PMC, no documents were ever verified or certified by AMC officials.
• Discrepancy in Cement Testing: The PMC’s November 2017 monthly progress report claimed 55 cement tests were conducted, yet the department submitted only 32 test reports to vigilance authorities.
• Bypassing Certified Labs: Official guidelines mandate concrete cube and raw material testing through NABL or government laboratories. However, a mere 4 percent of all submitted test reports were actually conducted at NABL-accredited facilities.
• Flawed Monitoring: The Quality Assurance Plan failed to specify the percentage of external laboratory tests required, while instructions to check slump randomly on-site were deemed entirely inadequate.

Patchwork Fixes Failed To Hide Substandard Concrete

Potholes and structural flaws began appearing on the deck slab shortly after the bridge was opened to the public. Instead of conducting a thorough technical audit, the engineering department attempted to conceal the defects through quick patchwork repairs.

However, advanced laboratory testing conducted between 2021 and 2022—including UPV, core tests, X-rays, petrographic analysis, carbonation, microscopic analysis, and chemical testing—confirmed that the concrete fell far short of required tender specifications.

Experts concluded that substandard concrete strength caused repeated deck slab settlements, creating an imminent collapse hazard. The persistent structural danger forced authorities to close the bridge to traffic before eventually executing its complete demolition.

Departmental Inquiry Rejects Defense Explanations

Following the vigilance report, the Municipal Commissioner initiated formal departmental proceedings against Manojkumar Solanki. After reviewing the officer's written explanations and hearing his defense, the Municipal Commissioner rejected all justifications, concluding that Solanki was guilty of grave misconduct and dereliction of duty.

The civic body has formally initiated the process to obtain necessary ratifications to dismiss Solanki from service, sending a strong signal across municipal departments regarding zero tolerance for infrastructure corruption.