Sandipsinh Zala, the Chief Officer of the Morbi Municipal Corporation, was suspended on Friday, 4 November, following the collapse of the cable bridge on Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi, sources told The Quint.
Zala is also likely to be called in for questioning on Thursday in connection with the mishap that killed at least 135 people. Nine people — all employees of the Oreva group that was in-charge of maintenance and repair of the bridge — have been arrested. These include security guards and ticket sellers as well.
The action against Zala comes two days after he was questioned on the matter on Tuesday, and documents related o the bridge were also procured from him.
What Happened?
On 30 October, a colonial-era suspension cable bridge in Morbi collapsed, killing at least 135 people.
The bridge, locally called the Jhulta Pul, was inaugurated after repair and renovation only on 26 October, four days before tragedy struck.
Sources told The Quint that the bridge has a capacity of 150 people at any given time. As per eyewitness accounts, however, over 400 people were present on the bridge at the time of the incident.
How Does the Municipal Body Come into the Picture?
To reopen the 19th century pedestrian bridge built on the Machchhu river in Morbi, a fitness certificate had to be issued by the municipality.
Zala had earlier told The Quint that the “Oreva group did not procure a fitness certificate.”
What is a Fitness Certificate?
A fitness certificate, which is to be issued by the Morbi Municipal Corporation, is given after checking multiple parameters such as capacity of rods, number of people the bridge can hold, the wind speed it can withstand, and if the contractor who has worked on it has licences in place or not.
Who Was Responsible for Repair Work?
Ahmedabad-based Oreva group was in-charge of the renovation and repair of the bridge, and work started on it seven months ago. It won the tender for repair and maintenance in June 2020.
What Does the FIR Say?
The First Information Report (FIR), based on a complaint filed by Morbi Police Inspector Prakashbhai Dekavadiya, does not mention the Oreva Group. But nine junior officials of the company were arrested by the Morbi police on 31 October.
The FIR does not mention any officials of the Morbi Municipal Corporation.
Did the Municipal Body Issue a Fitness Certificate?
In the conversation with The Quint earlier, Zala had claimed that the Morbi Municipal Corporation “had no idea that the bridge had been reopened.”
Claiming that Morbi is a huge municipality and that he “cannot be in the know of everything that happens here,” Zala added that the municipal body “only found out that the bridge was functional on 29 October“ — a day before the incident.
What has the Oreva Group said?
Soon after the incident, a spokesperson from the Oreva Group, told the media that the bridge collapsed because there were "far too many people on it than its approved capacity."
The Oreva Group is responsible for selling tickets and controlling the crowd on the bridge.
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