The infamous “90-degree” railway overbridge in Bhopal’s Aishbagh area, ridiculed across social media for its sharp curve, does not actually make a right-angle turn. An expert from the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) submitted a report to the Madhya Pradesh High Court stating that the structure bends at 118.4 degrees, closely matching the 119-degree turn reflected in the General Arrangement Drawing (GAD).
The report was presented before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdev and Justice Vinay Saraf. “The angle at the site was measured to be 118° 40’ 01”, which is in line with the approved design,” the bench noted, citing the expert’s submission.
In view of these findings, the state government has sought additional time to reconsider its earlier decision to blacklist M/s Puneet Chadha, the construction firm behind the bridge. The company had petitioned the High Court after being blacklisted in connection with the controversy.
According to the petitioner, the flyover contract was awarded in 2021-22, and the design was provided by a government agency. The GAD was later revised in 2023-24, and construction took place under official supervision. The firm argued that it was unfairly penalised without being given a hearing, pointing out that the bridge was never designed as a 90-degree structure.
The controversy erupted when images of the sharp bend went viral online, sparking public ridicule and raising safety concerns about the possibility of accidents on the overbridge. The state government responded by forming a five-member inquiry committee, which highlighted poor coordination between the state and the Railways. The probe also noted that the pillars of the bridge were not erected at the prescribed distance.
Following the committee’s findings, the government suspended seven engineers, including two chief engineers of the Public Works Department (PWD), and blacklisted both the contractor and the design consultant.
Those suspended included chief engineers Sanjay Khande and G. P. Verma, executive engineer Javed Shakeel, sub-divisional officer Ravi Shukla, sub-engineer Umashankar Mishra, assistant engineer Shanul Saxena, executive engineer Shabana Rajjaq, and retired superintendent engineer M. P. Singh, according to PWD additional chief secretary Neeraj Mandloi.
Earlier, the High Court had directed an independent expert assessment of the bridge, asking the petitioner to deposit Rs 1 lakh as fees while the Bhopal Municipal Corporation provided resources for the study. The court observed that if the petitioner’s claim proved correct, it would be entitled to recover the fee amount, and no severe action should be taken against it.
The Rs 18-crore overbridge was intended to improve connectivity between Mahamai Ka Bagh, Pushpa Nagar, and the station area with New Bhopal, benefitting nearly three lakh residents.
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