The hanging bridge on the river Tungabhadra connecting Hampi to Anegundi in Koppal collapsed on January 22, 2009, killing eight people and injuring 32.
Though a year has passed the reason for the collapse or the culprits responsible are yet to be identified. Even the debris of the bridge on the Anegundi side is yet to be cleared.
The lack of action by the officials concerned shows the laxity prevailing in the administration and elected representative.
The Public Works Department minister, District In-charge minister and many senior officials promptly visited the spot. Though the government constituted a team under C S Vishwanath, chief of Tor Steel Research Foundation of India to find out the technical reasons for the bridge’s collapse, the government is yet to make public the report submitted by the team.
Another commission was constituted by the government with a officer of Public Works Department Bellary Circle as the Presenting Officer to identify the people responsible for the collapse of bridge.
Source in the Public Works Department Bellary Circle revealed that a meeting of commission since its inception a year has not be called till date.
Background
The 226 meters bridge was planned by the government to give boost to tourism at Hampi and Anegundi which are listed in world heritage site at a cost of Rs 3.25 crore.
The construction work began in 1997. However due to several delays there was cost escalation by many crores.
Just when the bridge was nearing completion the works were stopped due to objection raised by Junko Taniguchi chief of Unesco team which visited the place in 1999. The work began only in 2008 after government agreed to many of the Unesco’s condition. However the bridge collapsed in January 2009.
