June 21st 2024.
The sea bridge connecting south Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, known as Atul Setu, has recently come under scrutiny due to alleged corruption in its construction. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole raised concerns about the poor quality of the bridge, citing visible cracks that have appeared within months of its inauguration. During his inspection of the bridge, Patole observed that a portion of the road has caved in by one foot, posing a threat to the safety of the public.
In response to these allegations, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from the opposition party dismissed them as false and accused Congress of spreading lies. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, responsible for the project, also stated that the cracks were not on the bridge itself, but on the approach road from Ulwe in Navi Mumbai. This six-lane bridge, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was inaugurated in January this year and cost Rs 17,840 crore to build. It spans 21.8 km and includes a 16.5 km sea-link.
During a press conference, Patole expressed his disappointment with the state government's handling of the project, accusing them of putting people's lives at risk. He highlighted the irony of the bridge being named after Vajpayee, a respected leader, while the government engaged in corrupt practices. He also stated that the state had spent a significant amount of Rs 18,000 crore on the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), and yet the quality of the construction was subpar.
In response to these allegations, BJP defended the bridge, stating that the cracks seen were not on Atal Setu itself, but on the road leading to it. Immediate repair work was carried out to fix the minor cracks, and the party urged Congress to stop spreading false information about the bridge. MMRDA also issued a statement clarifying that the cracks were on the approach road, not the bridge itself. During an inspection, minor cracks were found on the road, which were attributed to minor longitudinal cracks in the asphalt pavement.
Fadnavis, in his statement, accused Congress of having a history of spreading lies, citing recent instances such as questioning the Constitution and tampering with EVMs. He also clarified that the pictures circulating were of the approach road, not the bridge. The agency responsible for the project assured that the repair work would be completed within 24 hours without causing any disruption to traffic.
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