No Proposal Yet from Maharashtra Government for Rebuilding Collapsed Indrayani River Bridge; Centre Informs

New Delhi/Pune 24th July 2025: The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has confirmed that the Maharashtra government has not submitted any proposal for reconstructing the collapsed iron bridge over the Indrayani River in Pune. The statement was made in response to a parliamentary question raised by MP Dr. Shobha Dinesh Bachhav in the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the House that no communication had been received from the state government concerning tender issuance, rebuilding plans, or any timeline for a replacement bridge. He clarified that the fallen bridge was part of a state road network, not a National Highway, and therefore falls under the Maharashtra Public Works Department’s jurisdiction.

State PWD Blames Overloading for Collapse:
The 34-year-old bridge, which had been flagged as unsafe, collapsed due to overloading, according to a report by the State Public Works Department. Originally designed for pedestrian and light two-wheeler use, the bridge gave way under excessive weight.

Local governing bodies, particularly the Gram Panchayat, had reportedly installed warning boards urging citizens to avoid using the bridge due to its deteriorated condition. However, the warnings went unheeded, eventually resulting in the collapse.

Gadkari emphasized that central government responsibilities are limited to National Highways, and this incident occurred on a state-administered road. Therefore, all maintenance, inspection, and reconstruction efforts must be carried out by the Maharashtra state authorities.

The government response did not indicate whether any action had been taken against officials responsible for ignoring safety alerts or for not closing the bridge in time. Moreover, the reply made no mention of any systemic reforms or policy initiatives to prevent similar collapses in the future.