The Gujarat state government is taking strong action against contractors responsible for poor roadwork. This follows the tragic collapse of the Gambhira Bridge in Vadodara on July 9. The collapse led to public outrage and has prompted the government to act swiftly, especially with civic elections approaching.
The government has issued notices to over 25 contractors involved in road repairs. These contractors are now required to fix 659 km of damaged roads across 17 municipal corporations and 149 municipalities in the state. This is the first major accountability effort targeting contractors responsible for road conditions. Engineering staff in municipal bodies have also been notified.
M. Thennarasan, the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department, stated that the repair work is being monitored daily. “Civic bodies must rectify all damages quickly. Any negligence will lead to strict action,” he said.
So far, the government claims that 99% of the damaged roads have been repaired. Reports show that 577 km of road and 16,665 out of 16,832 reported potholes have been fixed.
In Surat, notices were issued to nine contractors, resulting in penalties amounting to ₹50.42 lakh. Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agrawal reported that repairs are ongoing in all nine city zones. More than 270 roads have been restored with over 4,000 tonnes of bitumen used.
Vadodara has also taken action. Twelve contractors were fined ₹18 lakh, and show-cause notices were sent to nine deputy engineers. Out of 3,300 potholes reported, 3,000 have been filled, and significant road repairs are underway. Municipal Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu warned that disciplinary actions will follow if the engineers’ explanations are deemed insufficient.
Other cities, such as Junagadh and Ahmedabad, are also participating in this crackdown. In Ahmedabad, around 7,200 potholes have been repaired this monsoon, with penalties issued to three engineers and two contractors.
The state government has made it clear that criminal proceedings will occur if contractors do not complete repairs or if their negligence causes accidents or fatalities.
Progress across major municipal corporations has been noteworthy. In Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, and Junagadh:
– 310.68 km of damaged roads have been repaired out of 312 km.
– 15,004 out of 15,123 potholes have been fixed.
– 14,633 out of 15,985 complaints have been addressed.
– Asphalt patchwork is complete on 55.86 km of roads.
In newer municipal corporations like Mehsana, Nadiad, Anand, and others, repairs have also been significant:
– 266 km of 347 km of damaged roads have been restored.
– 1,661 out of 1,709 potholes have been filled.
– 649 out of 676 complaints have been resolved.
– 10 km of asphalt patchwork completed.
Additionally, under six Regional Commissioners, significant progress has been made in filling potholes and addressing complaints. The government assures that repairs will be completed swiftly, and any negligence will not be tolerated.
This campaign has been initiated in the wake of the Gambhira Bridge collapse, which resulted in multiple fatalities and has been a wake-up call for the state regarding road safety and infrastructure maintenance. Authorities are taking all necessary steps to ensure public safety and improve road conditions across Gujarat.