Two days ago a parapet segment of an under-construction metro collapsed in Mumbai, killing one person and injuring three others. This incident is the newest addition to a troublingly long list of infrastructure accidents in India. Just last July, the Gambhira bridge collapse in Gujarat cost nine lives. And in 2022, the Morbi bridge collapse cost the lives of 135 people, including women and children! According to government data, between 2019 and 2024 there were 42 bridge collapses in the country.
The several lakhs of crores invested into infrastructure by both Central and State governments, does not translate into good quality infrastructure or safety mechanisms, largely due to severe cost cutting. The Governmentās famously used L1 system gives tenders to the lowest bidder for a project, leading to bidders severely undercutting expenses, especially around labour, quality and safety. Only recently have they changed this to award tenders based on technical merit. This coupled with the widespread corruption that has been a core part of Indian bureaucracy, form the perfect recipe for such disasters to recur at alarming frequency.
A 2024 survey states that nearly 50% of public infrastructure in India is unprepared for disaster management. As climate crises and disasters mount, this shocking reality should push authorities into immediate action. But in India, where accountability is scarcely practiced, this dysfunction is the norm.
While contractors cut necessary costs and corruption eating into public funds, the ultimate price for it is paid by the citizens, who lose lives and loved ones to entirely avoidable accidents.
