As bridges collapse; tendering, design and climate resilience questioned

Road ministry officials say central bridge projects perform better than state ones due to stricter checks and balances

The main reasons for bridges, airports, tunnels, and irrigation barges collapsing or showing signs of distress in the past year are design flaws, poor tendering prioritising the lowest bidder, and a shortage of skilled engineers. This conclusion comes from ministry officials, industry executives, and infrastructure consultants.

Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 saw its canopy collapse on June 28, followed by a similar incident at Rajkot Airport in Gujarat a day later. At least six other cases of flooding or ceiling/canopy collapse have been reported at different airports over the past year.

In Bihar alone, over a dozen bridges