Yogi Govt’s Push to Meet Deadline Responsible for Varanasi Tragedy

Video Editor: Mohd Irshad, Mohd Ibrahim

A lot of fingers were pointed and questions were raised after the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Varanasi claimed 18 lives. However, information accessed by The Quint places the Yogi Adityanath’s government under the scanner.

The construction of the flyover was scheduled to be completed by December 2018, however, sources revealed to The Quint that the government was mounting pressure to complete the project by June this year.

Over the last three years, around 50 government officials and ministers surveyed the construction site. These surveys – that were even carried out by Chief Minister Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Maurya – laid stress on checking the quality of the ongoing construction.

So where did the surveyors lag? Were these inspections just photo-ops? Or were quality and precision compromised in the rush to meet deadlines?

Upon enquiry, The Quint discovered that:-

• Traffic jams under the flyover were common due to its proximity to the railway station
• There was pressure on the authorities as the government wanted the construction to be completed before elections
• The Ghazipur unit was called in to speed up the work

Collapse Claimed 18 Lives

Kumkum Singh, who lost her son and her husband, can’t control her tears while talking about the incident. On 15 May, she was on her way to the railway station to drop her husband and son. Cars had to pass under the flyover to reach the station. Kumkum says that like most days, that day too saw a major traffic jam under the flyover.

As cars and bikes were slowly moving forward, a chunk of concrete from the bridge fell on Singh’s car.

My son could’ve been saved had the cutter arrived on time. I kept on screaming, “Save my babu, save my child.” We were trapped in the car for a long time, and I kept on sprinkling water on my son’s face to keep him alive.

Kumkum Singh

A probe into the possible cause of the collapse has been ordered. Four people, including the Project Manager of Sethu Corporation, have been suspended.

(This story was originally posted on Quint Hindi)

(The Quint is now on WhatsApp. To receive handpicked stories on topics you care about, subscribe to our WhatsApp services. Just go to TheQuint.com/WhatsApp and hit Send.)