A section of an under-construction elevated metro bridge in Surat bent visibly on July 30, after a span of concrete developed a crack. The affected span is part of the Saroli-Kadodara elevated route in Phase II of the roughly 19-km Bhesan–Saroli stretch of the ₹12,012 crore Surat metro project. 

Police and Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) officials promptly responded to the incident. Kadodara-bound traffic was diverted, causing congestion that clogged a 3-km stretch on the route. 

A GMRC official told Gujarat Samachar that the affected section of the bridge was brought down overnight and that the cause of the incident would be investigated. 

According to the Surat Municipal Corporation website, the Bhesan–Saroli stretch, which is part of Corridor 2, has a total implementation period of five years, starting from 2019–20. Construction began in 2021, with Dilip Buildcon Ltd as the contractor. The route is scheduled for inauguration in 2027.

Sketchy business

Dilip Buildcon is a midcap company listed on BSE and NSE with a market cap of approximately ₹7,600 crore. It is currently involved in metro rail projects — including elevated viaducts and stations — in Surat, Ahmedabad, and Indore. The company has a history of infrastructure projects across India, including the canopy at Rajkot's Hirasar Airport, which collapsed recently. 

In 2021, the CBI raided Dilip Buildcon offices across India over allegations of a ₹20 lakh bribe to an official of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The raids resulted in the recovery of ₹4 crore and four arrests, including the company’s general manager and an NHAI official.

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