Daily Times

Bhara Kahu overhead bridge being built in the federal capital collapsed second time in a week on Thursday.

Interestingly, the first incident was blamed poor traffic management and poor shuttering, and the burden of Thursday’s incident was fixed on a crane driver’s alleged negligence.

Bhara Kahu overhead bridge collapsed on February 25 at 8am and five workers came under its fresh concrete, three of them were pulled out with injuries, and two lost their lives.

Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Noorul Amin Mengal, who is also the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, entrusted the investigation to DC Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon. The inquiry report stated that a truck hit the bridge shuttering which fell down. It said that the incident was a negligence of the traffic police of Islamabad as it didn’t stop the loaded truck of fodder which hit the shuttering.

Exactly six days later, the bridge collapsed again and this time the cement girders placed on the bridge fell down. Member Engineering CDA Munawar Shah said while talking to Daily Times that the bridge first fell due to negligence of the traffic management, and second time the girders placed on top of the bridge came on each other and everything fell to the ground. In response to a question, he said that it was a wrong perception that poor material has been used in the construction of the bridge, but it is unfortunate that it collapsed twice in a week. He said a committee had been formed on the order of the chairman CDA which would identify the reasons.

The overhead bridge, which was being constructed at a cost of Rs6 billion, was tied with wooden shutters which couldn’t withstand even the light hit of a truck. Usually an iron shuttering is used in the heavy projects like this but Bhara Kahu bridge is being treated poorly by the CDA and contractors putting the lives of laborers and local people at stake.

Member Engineering CDA Munawar Shah said that the shuttering that was used for Bhara Kahu overhead bridge was used in 14 different places earlier but no such incident took place. He said that the company would also give compensation to the victim families.

The local people said that the main reason behind the incident was the contractor’s haste and use of poor material in the project. They alleged that the CDA officials take commission before awarding the contract and then the contractor use poor material. But if the Supreme Court takes notice, then the responsible of the incident could be booked, they said, adding that the inquiry committee of CDA was just waste of time as it would not hold the CDA or the contractor responsible in any case.