Dangerous condition of Padra bridge was flagged in 2022; who’s responsible for ignoring it?
Updated: Jul 9th, 2025
The falling of the Gambhira Bridge near Vadodara’s Padra has claimed nine lives so far after multiple vehicles plunged into it following its collapse early on Wednesday. A shocking development that has come to light is the precarious condition of the said bridge was flagged earlier by a district panchayat member, back in 2022. But it seems no serious action was taken and vehicles continued to ply on this bridge for the past three years.
After the horrific Morbi bridge incident, Harshadsinh Parmar, a member of the Jilla Panchayat of Vadodara, had in a letter to the executive engineer of the Roads and Building (R&B) Department of Vadodara, raised the dilapidated condition of the Gambhira Bridge.
A serious concern was raised over the deteriorating condition of the local bridge, with warnings that it posed a significant threat to public safety. Parmar cited reports from reliable sources indicating structural instability in the bridge’s pillars. It was claimed that the bridge visibly shook when heavy vehicles passed over it, and its surface had been deteriorating despite repeated repair efforts.
The panchayat member had urged authorities to immediately declare the bridge unsafe and shut it down to prevent a potential tragedy. He had also demanded the immediate commencement of plans to construct a new bridge.
“If timely action is not taken and any loss of life occurs, the responsibility will lie squarely on the concerned departments,” the letter stated.
He also warned that without a swift government response, they would be forced to launch a protest on the bridge in the form of a ‘water agitation’.
The appeal ends with a strong request for the matter to be treated with urgency to safeguard public lives.
The letter, dated August 4, 2022, had asked the Vadodara collector and R&B department to make the test report of the bridge public at that time.
“In order to prevent any kind of loss of public life, the government, the Roads and Building Department, and relevant authorities should take immediate action,” begged the letter.
As the state mourns the lives lost due to the tragedy, the letter makes it clear how the deaths could have been prevented, had the authorities responsible for the maintenance of the bridge taken the pleas of its deteriorating conditions seriously.
Also read:
