Madhya Pradesh's U-Turn On 90-Degree Bridge Blunder

After a public outcry over bizarrely angled designs - a bridge with two 90-degree turns in Indore and a flyover in Bhopal that looked more like an origami experiment - the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Madhya Pradesh government hit the brakes. They issued a new circular, saying no project has been halted after it scrapped the General Arrangement Drawings (GADs) of 355 projects, including 140 under-construction flyovers, railway overbridges (ROBs), and elevated corridors worth Rs 1,200 crores.

As the engineers and contractors were preparing to halt the construction of these projects, the PWD decided to re-engineer its own decision. The department revoked the order, claiming it was a "mistake." 

Chief Engineer PC Verma, who had earlier signed the cancellation, said, "The order was issued by mistake." Meanwhile, a new circular states no project has been halted. The department said it was only tightening bolts on quality control and technical oversight, not slamming brakes on construction.

The PWD has sought a detailed report from all districts (PWD offices) about the actual status as well as the design of all existing and proposed bridges.

In response to growing criticism, the state formed a high-level technical committee. This committee will now examine every nook, curve, and angle of all existing and under-construction flyovers and railway overbridges. From design and alignment to height, speed limits, and safety norms - nothing will get through without a solid pass.

This panel includes PWD's Chief Engineer (Buildings and Roads), Chief Engineer (Setu Parikshetra), Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation's (MPRDC) Chief Engineer, and officials from the Railway and the Municipal Corporation. Experts from outside the government may also be called in. 

Additionally, the government has mandated departmental exams for engineers. Executive Engineers, AEs, and Sub-Engineers must appear for tests after August 15, and their postings will now depend on their marks. They also appointed a Technical Advisor of MPRDC to collaborate with the Indian Academy for Highway Engineering to develop a training module for engineers, who will now have to study Indian Roads Congress (IRC) codes and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) guidelines.

Two weeks ago, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered action against those responsible for the infamous 90-degree Aishbagh ROB in Bhopal. Eight engineers, including two Chief Engineers, were suspended; a departmental inquiry is also being initiated against a retired Superintending Engineer. 

The construction agency and the design consultant behind the faulty blueprint have been blacklisted, and the bridge will only be inaugurated post-correction.