SP Singla Construction Private Limited, the contractor behind the under-construction Aguwani-Sultanganj Bridge in Bihar’s Bhagalpur that collapsed on Sunday evening, has also been involved in the development of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project in Greater Mumbai area.
According to its website, the construction company got the contract from the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. The project is aimed at reducing the distance between Goregaon and Navi Mumbai from 75 minutes to around 40 minutes if a commuter is driving at a speed of 60 kmph. It will also help in reducing the traffic congestion on this route.
Also WATCH | Honda Elevate Unveiled in India: Check out features, bookings date, expected price, rivals for the new SUV and more
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned the GMLR project in four phases. The first phase comprises the construction of the Nahur Road overbridge whereas its second phase entails the road widening work at Goregaon East and Mulund West.
The third phase of this project is where SP Singla Construction Private Limited comes in as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai signed a contract with the construction company for the designing and construction of flyovers and an elevated rotary.
The third phase of the GMLR project entails the designing and construction a flyover at Goregaon East's Ratnagiri Hotel junction, a flyover at Mulund West's Hedgewar Junction and an elevated rotary at Mulund West's GG Singh Road junction.
This phase will also include the construction of a box tunnel at Goregaon East, and underground twin tunnels at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. This portion may cost around Rs 7,000 crore.
The fourth phase comprises the construction of an underpass across the Western Express highway and a flyover in Mulund East’s Airoli junction. Out of its Rs 50,000 crore budget released in February this year, the BMC allocated Rs 1,060 crore for the Goregaon Mulund Link Road.
The company came under fire after the under-construction Aguwani-Sultanganj Bridge in Bihar’s Bhagalpur collapsed at around 6 pm on Sunday. The visuals showed two parts of the bridge collapsing one after another. The bridge was being constructed at a cost outlay of Rs 1,717 crore.
Also WATCH: US woman marries AI chatbot she created. Know all about this bizarre human-AI couple, Replika AI and more
As per initial reports, at least three-foot portion of the bridge collapsed into river Ganga. A day after the bridge collapse, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled up the construction company in question and said the company did not act properly.
Kumar said in Hindi: “The Bridge was not constructed properly, which is why it collapsed”. He added that officials have been tasked to take strict action against the company.
This, however, is not the only time that the company came under the scanner. In May 2020, three children died after a concrete slab fell on them while the construction of the Lohia Chakra Path was going on in full swing. Inquiry into the incident took place but no action was taken against the construction company. It was also engaged in the construction of the Lohia Chakra Path, an ambitious project of the Nitish Kumar government in Patna.
SP Singla Construction Private Limited counts Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MORTH), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), J&K Projects Construction Corporation Ltd (JKPCC), Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Ltd (BRPNNL), GSIDC, Goa, Border Roads Organization (BRO), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC), Kochi Metro Rail Ltd., IRCON International Ltd, Steel Authority Of India Ltd (SAIL), Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), Punjab Infrastructure Development Board, C.P.W.D., New Delhi, Indian Railways, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, as well as PWDs of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam among its clients.
Also read: Bihar: Bridge made at a cost of Rs 13 cr collapses before inauguration
Also WATCH: Swara Bhasker announces pregnancy months after marrying SP leader Fahad Ahmad, check viral post of baby bump