In Ahmedabad, the Hatkeshwar Bridge and VS Hospital are at the center of heated discussions. This comes during the annual general meeting of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Opposition members raised serious questions about the demolition of these structures. However, the ruling party provided no clear answers.
During the meeting, Shehzad Khan Pathan, a member of the Municipal Congress, presented photographs of the demolished VS Hospital building. He directly asked the mayor whether a new hospital would be built in its place. The mayor, who also chairs the VS Board, failed to respond to this crucial question.
The Standing Committee chairman defended the actions taken, stating that according to a High Court order, the outpatient and 200-bed facilities at VS Hospital would remain available. The future use of the site is yet to be confirmed. This suggests that the demolition of the building has left the ruling party in a difficult position.
AMC is currently demolishing the dilapidated structure of Seth Vadilal Sarabhai Hospital. According to a resolution by the VS Board, the demolition was supposed to be followed by renovations, pending approval from trustees. However, these plans were overlooked, leading to the destruction of the buildings.
The Hatkeshwar Bridge, which has been closed for the past three years, is also being torn down. A resolution for its demolition was passed recently. An opposition leader pointed out that the decision to demolish the bridge was made quickly, possibly to divert attention from the recent Gambhira Bridge collapse, which resulted in the loss of 18 lives. He accused the ruling party of neglecting the bridge for over a thousand days.
When asked if a new bridge would be constructed after the Hatkeshwar Bridge is demolished, the ruling party remained silent. The Standing Committee chairman attempted to respond, but his answers were vague. The opposition leader argued that it seems evident that a new bridge will not be built, raising concerns about the previous expenditure of 40 crores on the old bridge, which he labelled as corruption.
The Hatkeshwar Bridge was initially constructed at a cost of 42 crores and was deemed ‘dangerous.’ The AMC has now allocated about 3.90 crores for its demolition. This decision follows previous inspections that revealed structural issues with the bridge, leading to its closure for safety reasons.
AMC officials indicated that they had faced difficulties finding contractors willing to bid for the bridge’s reconstruction. Following the recent tragic events, the scrutiny of construction quality and maintenance practices in Ahmedabad has intensified. Reports indicate that five bridges in the city are currently in poor condition, including the Amarsingh Chaudhari Bridge and the Mahatma Gandhi Old Bridge. All these findings raise questions about the safety of public infrastructure in Ahmedabad.
In summary, the discussions surrounding the Hatkeshwar Bridge and VS Hospital highlight significant concerns regarding transparency and accountability in municipal governance. As the city moves forward, it is crucial that the AMC addresses these issues to ensure public safety and trust in their infrastructure projects.