When Commonwealth games bridge collapsed, it was the Army that constructed it in 2010

The Kerala Bailey Bridge too was constructed by the 14 Madras Engineering Group.

A big hue and cry was made over the Army being roped in to construct the foot over bridge in Mumbai after 23 people were killed in a stampede last month. Earlier in the day, Railway Minister, Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the site.

Following the announcement that the Army would be roped in to construct the Elphinstone Bridge, there were a series of comments mocking the decision. Many asked if the Army should be diverted for civilian works. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh questioned the need to rope in the Army. However before making a hue and cry one needs to ask, if this is the first time that the Army has been roped in to carry out work in civilian areas.

Let us rewind to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. A suspension bridge outside the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium collapsed in which 27 workers died. The UPA government had then called in the Army to reconstruct the bridge and the same was done in flat 6 days.

The Kerala Bailey Bridge too was constructed by the 14 Madras Engineering Group. The bridge was constructed in Kerala across the Kallada river in Enathu. The Army completed the job in 48 hours following which the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the bridge.

In the year 1959, Lt General B M Kaul who was the Chief of General Staff under Project Amar. Under this project the Army was involved in the construction construction of 1,450 houses in Ambala, Haryana.

OneIndia News