J&K government orders safety audit of major bridges, flyovers

JAMMU: In the wake of the recent flyover collapse in Kolkata, the Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a safety audit of all the major under-construction and completed bridges and flyovers in the state.

The State Administrative Council ( SAC) which met here today under the chairmanship of Governor NN Vohra ordered that a safety audit should be carried out of all major under- construction and completed bridges and flyovers in Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said.

He said the decision was taken following the tragic incident in Kolkata on Thursday in which two parts of an under -construction flyover collapsed resulting in loss of lives and injuries to scores of people.

The SAC noted that it is imperative that the safety of under-construction flyovers and bridges is examined and necessary safety measures are timely enforced, he said.

It was decided that Directorate of Design Inspection and Quality Control (DIQC) shall be the nodal agency for the safety audits, he said.

The SAC decided that all deputy commissioners will also constitute a team of engineers, headed by the District SE, for listing of the bridges in their respective districts for coordinating their safety audit.

Meanwhile, the J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) has been asked to ensure that all safety measures are in place for the execution of the flyover projects in Srinagar and Jammu as per the ADB standards and protocol.