CANACONA: The old bridge at Sadashivgad near Karwar over the Kali river connecting Goa and Karwar on the National Highway 66, collapsed in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. The bridge was used as one-way for vehicles from Goa to south India.
Traffic on the Canacona-Karwar Highway was disrupted early Wednesday morning after the bridge collapsed.
The bridge caved in when a loaded truck travelling from Goa to Kerala was crossing over it.
The truck driver Bala Murugan (37) from Tamil Nadu was injured and was rescued by the Karwar fire personnel and Coastal Police, with the help of local fishermen. Murugan managed to escape by breaking the windshield and standing on the cabin, cried for help.
Senior officials, including Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Uttara Kannada District, Karwar, Lakshmi Priya and Superintendent of Police, Narayana M visited the site to assess the situation.
The District Magistrate has instructed the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to assess the stability of the new bridge before resuming traffic flow.
The NHAI officials in Bengaluru and Honnavara have been directed to coordinate the inspection immediately and submit the report by Wednesday itself.
Heavy vehicles were stopped at both ends of the bridge. Vehicles from Goa were stopped at Canacona, while those from Karnataka halted at Karwar.
A search operation by the NDRF, SDRF, coastal police, and local fishermen was also undertaken to ensure no other vehicles or individuals were affected by the collapse.
The authorities inspected the new bridge built two years ago and resumed two-way traffic. However, the authorities decided not to allow heavy vehicles and diverted it via other routes.
Following the incident, Uttar Kannada District Minister, Mankanle Vaidya visited the site. He said there was no loss of life and that the local fishermen saved the life of a person.
Karwar-Akola MLA Satish Sail alleged that the bridge may have developed stress due to playing of vehicles and machinery being worked on it while constructing the new bridge.
After the collapse a video went viral on social media wherein Sandeep Rane, a resident from Karwar was heard telling a social worker Mahadev Naik that the old bridge had started developing cracks at many places due to the incessant rains for last few days.
“If you tell the administration, no one will pay attention as it is in deep slumber,” Rane told Naik.
But Naik replied that the bridge was declared unsafe for vehicular traffic in 2009 and was closed for few days. The company who had built the bridge inspected it and certified that the bridge was fit for vehicular traffic following which the bridge was opened for traffic.
Meanwhile, the supply of vegetables and milk was no affected in the South Goa. Rajendra Ajgaonkar, president of Gandhi Market Traders Association, Margao, said that there was no effect on supply of vegetables and others items. “We had no problem and there was regular supply in the market,” he said
Managing Director of Goa State Horticultural Corporation Limited, Chandrahas Desai told O Heraldo that there was no effect on the supply of vegetables and fruits due to bridge collapse.
“Our vehicles come from Chorla, Amboli and Anmod ghats and supply vegetables and fruits to our outlets in Goa,” Desai said.