<p>The recent bridge collapse in Pune which left four people dead and 18 others seriously injured has raised safety concerns.</p><p>On June 15, the 32-year-old iron pedestrian bridge on the Indrayani river that had already been declared unsafe collapsed.</p>.Pune bridge collapse: Congress demands accountability, calls for questions to be asked of those in power.<p>And for records, this is not for the first time that Maharashtra is witnessing such untoward incidents.</p><p>It may be recalled that on on August 2, 2016, the Raigad bridge on the Mumbai-Goa highway constructed over the savitri river collapsed, killing 22 people.</p><p>The Public Works Department allowed vehicular transport on the bridge even though it had surpassed its utility period.</p><p>The bridge was constructed during the British era in 1928, almost 88 years ago as the time of destruction. As per an NDTV report, British officials had warned the Maharashtra authorities about the state of the bridge two years ago before the incident and suggested that it should be closed, said a lawmaker in Parliament.</p><p>Massive search and rescue efforts were launched, involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Navy, Coast Guard helicopters, and local divers. The main cause for such accident is due to inadequacy in maintenance and negligence of the authorities to check the functionality of the bridge.</p><p>Having said that, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/at-least-4-dead-six-critical-as-bridge-collapses-in-pune-3586878">the recent collapse in Pune </a>has its roots in similar negligence, the bridge was nearly 30 years old and originally built for farmers, it was structurally weak, rusted, and declared unfit for use but not officially closed. Overcrowding and exceeding its capacity, lead to collapse.</p><p>Former MLA Digambardada Bhegde requested reconstruction of the same Indrayani river bridge due to safety concerns. Apparently his request was not considered. </p><p>The two major collapses in Maharashtra is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by outdated infrastructure and negligence especially to the safety of its public.</p>
<p>The recent bridge collapse in Pune which left four people dead and 18 others seriously injured has raised safety concerns.</p><p>On June 15, the 32-year-old iron pedestrian bridge on the Indrayani river that had already been declared unsafe collapsed.</p>.Pune bridge collapse: Congress demands accountability, calls for questions to be asked of those in power.<p>And for records, this is not for the first time that Maharashtra is witnessing such untoward incidents.</p><p>It may be recalled that on on August 2, 2016, the Raigad bridge on the Mumbai-Goa highway constructed over the savitri river collapsed, killing 22 people.</p><p>The Public Works Department allowed vehicular transport on the bridge even though it had surpassed its utility period.</p><p>The bridge was constructed during the British era in 1928, almost 88 years ago as the time of destruction. As per an NDTV report, British officials had warned the Maharashtra authorities about the state of the bridge two years ago before the incident and suggested that it should be closed, said a lawmaker in Parliament.</p><p>Massive search and rescue efforts were launched, involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Navy, Coast Guard helicopters, and local divers. The main cause for such accident is due to inadequacy in maintenance and negligence of the authorities to check the functionality of the bridge.</p><p>Having said that, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/at-least-4-dead-six-critical-as-bridge-collapses-in-pune-3586878">the recent collapse in Pune </a>has its roots in similar negligence, the bridge was nearly 30 years old and originally built for farmers, it was structurally weak, rusted, and declared unfit for use but not officially closed. Overcrowding and exceeding its capacity, lead to collapse.</p><p>Former MLA Digambardada Bhegde requested reconstruction of the same Indrayani river bridge due to safety concerns. Apparently his request was not considered. </p><p>The two major collapses in Maharashtra is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by outdated infrastructure and negligence especially to the safety of its public.</p>
