The horrible Morbi tragedy in the Indian state of Gujarat, wherein a British-era suspension bridge collapsed, leading to the death of 141 people, has thrown a spotlight on the company involved in the maintenance and upkeep of the said bridge. The company, Oreva Group, had opened the bridge to the public five months prior to its scheduled opening. The company was given a deadline of 8-12 months to finish the suspension bridge’s maintenance and cleaning.
According to its contract with Morbi Municipality, this private company is responsible for not only maintenance and cleaning of the bridge but also the collection of any payments related to the same. The contract with the Gujarat government was signed for a duration of 15 years till 2037.
The bridge was built in the 19th century and was inaugurated on February 20, 1879. Shri Waghji Thakor, the ruler of Morbi till 1922, was inspired by colonial influence and decided to construct the bridge to connect Darbargarh Palace to Nazarbag Palace, both of which were the residences of the then royalty. The suspension bridge is located nearly 300 km from Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat.
Immediately after the suspension bridge collapsed, the state authorities pulled up Oreva for severe lapses. According to Sandeep Singh, head of Morbi’s civic body, a ‘fitness certificate’ or other requisite permissions were not issued for opening the bridge to the public. Singh further added that the company had to inform the civic authorities after the bridge’s renovation ended. After this, an inspection would be conducted.
He told India Today in an exclusive conversation: “I didn’t give it a certificate and then it was Diwali holidays, but then they started all of a sudden and yesterday this accident happened.”
About Oreva Group
Oreva Group specialises in making home and electrical appliances, electric lamps, calculators, ceramic products, CFL bulbs, wall clocks and e-bikes. It manufactures wall clocks under the famous Ajanta and Orpat brands. The company was founded by Odhavji Raghavji Patel around five decades back and has a turnover of around Rs 800 crore.
The Ahmedabad-based group, through its flagship firm Ajanta Manufacturing, is also present in segments such as lighting products, battery-operated bikes, home appliances, electrical accessories and electronic items like telephones and LED TVs, according to news agency PTI.
Oreva operates one of the largest manufacturing plants in the country at Samakhiyali located in Gujarat’s Kutch. Oreva Group also entered the digital clock segment of late, the news agency further reported.
While Oreva claims to employ over 6,000 people on its website, there is no mention of the construction business whatsoever. Thus, it is unclear as to how the Oreva Group got the contract to maintain a century-old bridge.
Morbi bridge collapse updates
An FIR has been filed under sections 304, 308 and 114 against those accused. The FIR also mentioned that faulty construction or other construction or maintenance-related reasons led to the mishap. It added that the tragic incident happened due to gross negligence and carelessness and the push to open the bridge for tourists.
Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the site of the incident on Tuesday. The Morbi suspension bridge in Gujarat broke down on Sunday evening, leading to the death of 141 people and several others were injured. People jumped off the bridge and clung to its wires at the time of the incident.
(With inputs from India Today, PTI)
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