Vadodara bridge collapse sparks painful flashback to 2003 Damanganga tragedy that killed over 25 schoolkids; Justice took 19 years

The recent Gambhira bridge collapse in Vadodara has reminded many people of the tragic bridge accident that took place in Daman back in 2003. That terrible incident claimed 30 lives, most of them schoolchildren.

On August 28, 2003, a part of the bridge over the Damanganga river in Daman, built in 1983, collapsed without warning. A 90-metre stretch of the 300-metre bridge fell into the river, which was nearly 40 feet below. The victims, including 28 children, a teacher, and a pedestrian, were returning home in vans and auto-rickshaws when the tragedy happened.

What made the incident even more shocking was that the bridge had already been shut for repairs in 2001, with Rs 2 crore spent on fixing it. Despite this, it was reopened in June 2003, and within just two months, it collapsed, leading to the heartbreaking loss of lives.

Justice, however, was slow. A chargesheet was filed five years later in August 2008. The case was delayed repeatedly, and even after a court in 2009 ordered Rs 1 lakh compensation for each victim’s family, it took over a decade to reach a final judgment. The families had to go back to court to demand a speedy trial, but the process got delayed again due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was only in February 2022, 19 years after the accident, that a local court in Daman finally convicted three government officers from the public works department for negligence. Each was sentenced to two years in jail and fined Rs 16,500. Out of the seven people initially accused, two died during the court proceedings, and two others were discharged by the court.

Inputs from TOI