India's World-Class Infrastructure | Airport and Bridges Collapse

Summary

The video script discusses the alarming state of India's public infrastructure, with a focus on the tragic accidents caused by its collapse, such as the Delhi Airport Terminal 1 roof collapse and the Morbi Bridge disaster. It highlights the root cause as the L1 contract system, which favors the lowest bidder regardless of experience or quality, leading to cost-cutting measures and poor construction. The script also touches on the need for a multi-criteria contractor selection framework, proper design, and maintenance to prevent such tragedies and improve India's infrastructure.

Takeaways

• 😢 Tragic Incidents: The script details several tragic infrastructure failures in India, including the Delhi Airport Terminal 1 roof collapse and the Jabalpur airport roof collapse, resulting in loss of life.
• 🏗️ Infrastructure Collapses: The script highlights the alarming rate of public infrastructure collapses in India, with 8,500 deaths between 2018 and 2022, indicating a severe safety issue.
• 💰 Contracting Issues: The script points out that the use of L1 contracts, or the lowest-cost method, is a significant factor in the poor quality of infrastructure, as it prioritizes cost over experience and quality.
• 🛠️ Lack of Technical Expertise: The script emphasizes the need for skilled engineers and technical quality in the construction industry, which is currently lacking, leading to design and execution flaws.
• 🔍 Inadequate Auditing: The script criticizes the auditing process for infrastructure, showing that audits often fail to identify critical issues, leading to preventable disasters.
• 📈 Systemic Problems: The script suggests that the issues in India's infrastructure are systemic, involving problems from the contracting stage to maintenance and safety audits.
• 🛑 Government Accountability: The script raises concerns about the lack of government accountability and the absence of a centralized authority responsible for safety audits and maintenance.
• 🌐 International Comparison: The script compares India's infrastructure contracting methods with those used in the US and Europe, suggesting that a multi-criteria contractor selection framework could improve quality.
• 🏙️ Urban Planning Challenges: The script discusses the challenges of urban planning and the importance of considering soil and environmental conditions in infrastructure projects, which are often overlooked.
• 👷‍♂️ Skill Gap in Engineers: The script points out a skill gap among engineers in the construction industry, with skilled engineers opting for better opportunities abroad, leaving a workforce that lacks expertise.
• 📉 Public Safety Neglect: The script concludes with a call for improved public safety, criticizing the government's approach to infrastructure that prioritizes short-term savings over long-term safety and quality.

Q & A

What tragic incident occurred at Delhi Airport on 28th June, 2024?

On 28th June, 2024, Ramesh Kumar, a 45-year-old man, died when the roof of Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 collapsed on his car after he had dropped off a customer.

What was the incident that happened at Jabalpur's airport one day before the Delhi Airport tragedy?

The roof of Jabalpur's recently inaugurated airport collapsed on 27th June, 2024, just a day before the Delhi Airport incident.

How many people were killed in Mathura due to the collapse of a water tank?

Two people were killed in Mathura on 1st July when a 250,000-litre water tank collapsed.

What is the reported number of deaths due to the collapse of public infrastructure in India between 2018 and 2022?

Official data reports that 8,500 people have died due to the collapse of public infrastructure in India between 2018 and 2022.

What is the L1 contract method used by the Indian government for infrastructure projects?

The L1 contract method is the lowest-cost method used by the Indian government, where the contract is awarded to the company that offers to work at the lowest cost, regardless of experience or quality.

What was the outcome of the Vivekanand flyover collapse in Kolkata in 2016?

The Vivekanand flyover collapse in Kolkata in 2016 resulted in the death of 26 people due to the company IVRCL trying to save costs at every level, leading to the collapse.

What was the cause of the Morbi Bridge collapse in Gujarat in 2022?

The Morbi Bridge in Gujarat collapsed in 2022 due to the contract being given to a local company, Oreva, which was primarily involved in making clocks and lighting and had no experience in repairing bridges.

What new guidelines on contracts were issued by the Finance Ministry of India in 2021?

In 2021, the Finance Ministry issued new guidelines on contracts that included assessing the quality of the contractor before issuing the contract, known as quality-cum-cost-based selection.

What is the proposed solution to improve the selection of contractors for infrastructure projects in India?

The proposed solution is a multi-criteria contractor selection framework, which evaluates multiple criteria such as bid price, financial capabilities, technical capabilities, experience, performance, and health safety.

What is the issue with the current auditing system for infrastructure projects in India?

The current auditing system in India is problematic due to poor auditing practices, lack of a centralized responsible organization for safety audits, and instances of corruption that lead to inadequate maintenance and inspection of infrastructure.

How does the script suggest addressing the issue of accountability in infrastructure projects?

The script suggests that a single authority should be held responsible for infrastructure projects to ensure proper maintenance and accountability, as well as implementing a multi-criteria contractor selection framework to improve the quality of contractors.

Outlines

00:00

🏢 Tragic Infrastructure Failures in India

The script opens with the tragic incident of Ramesh Kumar's death due to the collapse of Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 roof, highlighting a series of infrastructure collapses in India. It raises questions about the quality of public infrastructure, citing official data showing 8,500 deaths between 2018 and 2022 due to such incidents. The narrative then shifts to discuss hair loss and a solution provided by Traya, which seems out of context but serves as a transition back to the main issue of India's poor infrastructure. The paragraph concludes by explaining the process of an infrastructure project and the problems starting from the contract stage, particularly the use of L1 contracts, which are awarded to the lowest bidder regardless of experience or quality, leading to cost-cutting measures and ultimately, infrastructure failures.

05:00

📉 The Consequences of the L1 Contracting Method

This paragraph delves deeper into the L1 contracting method, illustrating its flaws with examples such as the Vivekanand flyover collapse and the Morbi Bridge tragedy. It points out that the L1 method prioritizes cost over quality and experience, leading to companies cutting corners and compromising safety. The script mentions a government report acknowledging the failure of many projects due to this method and the Central Vigilance Commission's findings on unqualified companies receiving contracts. It also discusses the government's attempt to introduce a quality-cum-cost-based selection system, but notes that it is not a complete replacement for the L1 system and is limited in its application, suggesting that the government continues to use L1 contracts despite its issues.

10:02

🛠️ Design Flaws and the Need for Skilled Engineers

The third paragraph discusses the importance of proper design and the role of skilled engineers in infrastructure projects. It criticizes the lack of technical quality in the Indian construction industry, using the Pragati Maidan Corridor project as an example of a failed project due to design flaws and technical issues. The script calls for a multi-criteria contractor selection framework that evaluates various aspects of a contractor's capabilities, which has been successfully implemented in the US and Europe. It also addresses the issue of corruption and the lack of proper auditing, leading to projects being declared safe despite being structurally unsound, as seen in the Mumbai footover bridge collapse.

15:03

🏛️ Accountability and the Fragmentation of Authority

The final paragraph emphasizes the lack of accountability and the fragmentation of authority as key issues in India's infrastructure management. It describes the confusion among citizens about which authority to contact for different infrastructure issues, with multiple departments controlling various aspects of public infrastructure. The script calls for a single authority to be responsible for safety audits and maintenance to ensure public safety. It concludes by urging the government to value Indian lives more than it currently does, reflecting on the need for structural change and better governance in infrastructure management.

Keywords

💡Infrastructure

Infrastructure refers to the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. In the video's context, it is central to the theme as it discusses the poor state of public infrastructure in India, which has led to numerous accidents and fatalities, such as the collapse of the Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 roof and the Morbi Bridge.

💡L1 Contracts

L1 Contracts, also known as the lowest-cost method, is a contracting method where the contract is awarded to the bidder offering the lowest price. The video criticizes this method, explaining that it often leads to cost-cutting measures that compromise the quality and safety of infrastructure projects, as seen in the collapses of the Vivekanand flyover and the Morbi Bridge.

💡Safety Audits

Safety audits are systematic examinations or reviews to determine whether a project or system meets the required safety standards. The video highlights the importance of safety audits in maintaining infrastructure and criticizes the lack of proper auditing in India, which has contributed to the failure of infrastructure projects and the resulting accidents.

💡Quality-cum-Cost-Based Selection

Quality-cum-Cost-Based Selection is a contracting method that assesses not only the cost but also the quality of the contractor's work before awarding a contract. The video mentions this as a new guideline issued by the Finance Ministry in India, intended to improve the selection process for contractors and potentially enhance the quality of infrastructure projects.

💡Technical Capabilities

Technical capabilities refer to the skills and knowledge required to perform a specific technical task or to operate a system. The video emphasizes the need for better technical capabilities among contractors and engineers in India to design and build infrastructure that can withstand various conditions and loads, as opposed to the current state where technical flaws lead to failures.

💡Corruption

Corruption is the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery or manipulation for personal gain. The script implies that corruption is rampant in the construction industry in India, leading to the allocation of contracts to unqualified companies and the misappropriation of funds intended for infrastructure projects.

💡Accountability

Accountability is the obligation to report, explain, and be responsible for one's actions. The video discusses the lack of accountability in the Indian government and construction industry, where officials and companies are not held responsible for infrastructure failures, leading to a cycle of poor construction and no improvements.

💡Monsoon

Monsoon refers to a seasonal wind in South Asia, typically bringing heavy rainfall. The video uses the monsoon as an example of a natural event that exposes the poor design and construction of infrastructure, such as the water blockages in the Pragati Maidan Tunnel and the collapse of bridges in Bihar.

💡Skill Gap

Skill gap is the difference between the skills required for a job and those possessed by the available workforce. The script mentions the skill gap in India's construction industry, where there is a shortage of skilled engineers and technicians, leading to poor execution of infrastructure projects.

💡Audit Report

An audit report is a formal document that summarizes the findings of an audit. The video cites the example of the Mumbai footover bridge collapse, where an audit report incorrectly declared the bridge safe, highlighting the failure of the auditing process to ensure the safety and integrity of infrastructure.

💡Public Safety

Public safety refers to the protection of the health, well-being, and property of the public. The script criticizes the Indian government's disregard for public safety in its approach to infrastructure development, prioritizing cost-saving over the quality and safety of projects that are crucial for the public's daily life.

Highlights

On 28th June 2024, Ramesh Kumar's tragic death due to the collapse of Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 roof highlights the precarious state of India's infrastructure.

The collapse of Jabalpur's airport roof and the water tank disaster in Mathura underscore the recurring theme of infrastructure failure in India.

Aaj Tak's report on Ayodhya's dire situation, suggesting divine intervention for salvation, reflects the public's despair over the state of infrastructure.

Gurgaon's gutters becoming fountains and Bihar's bridge collapses symbolize the scale of India's infrastructural crisis.

The alarming statistic of 8,500 deaths between 2018 and 2022 due to public infrastructure collapse reveals the severity of the issue.

Bilal's story of overcoming hair loss with Traya's comprehensive approach demonstrates the potential for tackling widespread problems with holistic solutions.

The explanation of L1 contracts as the root cause of infrastructural issues in India provides insight into the systemic flaws in contract awarding.

The Vivekanand flyover and Morbi Bridge tragedies exemplify the deadly consequences of the L1 contracting method prioritizing cost over quality and experience.

The revelation that the L1 method leads to unqualified companies winning contracts, as reported by the Central Vigilance Commission, exposes the corruption in the system.

The Finance Ministry's 2021 guidelines for assessing contractor quality alongside cost is a step towards addressing the L1 method's shortcomings.

The ongoing use of the L1 system despite new guidelines indicates a slow and partial response to the need for infrastructural reform.

The multi-criteria contractor selection framework, successfully implemented in the US and Europe, offers a solution to India's contracting problems.

The technical and design flaws in the Pragati Maidan Corridor project illustrate the common mistakes in infrastructure planning and execution.

The lack of proper soil testing and adherence to blueprints in Bihar's bridge construction points to a disregard for safety and quality.

The comparison between India's construction industry and ISRO's achievements emphasizes the need for technical quality and skilled engineers.

The shortage of skilled engineers in India's construction industry and the resulting reliance on unskilled labor is a significant concern.

The Mumbai footover bridge collapse and the subsequent arrests highlight the failure of auditing and accountability in infrastructure safety.

The lack of a centralized authority for safety audits in India contributes to the confusion and lack of responsibility after infrastructural failures.

The Delhi High Court's criticism of the government's unpreparedness for monsoon rains and the resulting chaos points to a lack of planning and coordination.

The fragmented control over Delhi's stormwater drains among eight different authorities exemplifies the governance issues leading to infrastructural breakdowns.

Transcripts

On 28th June, 2024, 45-year-old Ramesh Kumar

went to Delhi Airport to drop his customer.

He was working overtime

because he wanted to earn more money for his elder daughter's wedding.

As soon as he droped his customer,

the roof of Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 fell on his car and he died.

"We have big news from Delhi."

"Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 has met with a major accident."

"The roof of the Terminal collapsed..."

One day back, on 27th June, 2024,

the roof of Jabalpur's recently inaugurated airport collapsed.

On 1st July, two people were killed in Mathura

when a 250,000 litre water tank collapsed.

Ayodhya is in such a state

that even Aaj Tak is reporting that only Lord Ram can save it.

"Can only Lord Ram save Ayodhya now?"

"This is what we have to ask after looking at these visuals."

The gutters of Gurgaon have become fountains,

But all the records have been broken in Bihar,

where 7 bridges have collapsed in the last 15 days.

Life in India is so cheap that as soon as you step out of the house,

either a hoarding will fall on you,

or the roof of the airport, or the bridge will slip off your feet.

According to official data, between 2018 and 2022,

8,500 people have died because of the collapse of public infrastructure.

So who's responsible for this?

Why is India's infrastructure so bad?

This is Bilal, a school teacher in Jammu.

My team talked to him to understand

how he got from here to here.

Bilal told us that he had hairfall for a long time.

But instead of being demotivated, he tried to find a solution.

And Bilal is not alone.

Many Indian men are suffering from hairfall.

Many people are getting hair transplant surgeries.

Many people think that if hair loss starts, it can't be stopped.

But in 5-6 months, Bilal changed his situation with the help of Traya.

In Bilal's case, along with hair loss,

he also had gut health, and digestion problems.

But before starting the Traya plan, he didn't know that

all these things had a relationship.

After talking to the Traya team, we found out

that hair loss can be caused by many reasons

like metabolism, energy, hormones, genes, sleep, and stress.

Many people don't treat these problems side-by-side,

so their hair loss doesn't stop.

But Traya gives you an all-round solution.

They give you a dermatologist-approved serum,

vitamins, minerals, and a diet plan.

And that's why Bilal's hair loss problem stopped in 5-6 months.

If you want to check out Traya, there's a link in the description.

And there's a 20% discount for you if you use the coupon code MM20.

Now let's get back to the video.

To understand why the infrastructure in our country is so bad,

we need to understand the process of an infrastructure project.

First, a contract is given to a company.

Then the company designs and executes the project.

After that, the infrastructure has to be maintained.

For this, we have to conduct safety audits.

But in India, the problem starts at the contract stage.

The main reason for this is that our government uses L1 contracts.

What are L1 contracts?

Let me give you an example.

On March 31, 2016, at around 12.30 pm, there was a huge crowd

at Vivekanand Road near the Girish Park metro station in Kolkata.

Some people were going to work, while others were going for lunch break.

At this time, an under-construction part of the Vivekanand flyover fell on people.

26 people were crushed.

Why?

The company that built the flyover, IVRCL,

its operations director, AGK Murthy, said that it was an act of God.

But it wasn't an act of God.

It happened because of IVRCL.

Because 7 years ago, they submitted the lowest bid to win a contract.

In its report, IIT Kharagpur also said that

the company tried to save costs at every level.

Because of this, the flyover collapsed.

But this isn't a single incident.

On October 30, 2022, the Morbi Bridge in Gujarat collapsed

because of which 140 people lost their lives.

"In Gujarat's Morbi, on Sunday evening,

a cable bridge built on the Machchu River broke down."

"During this incident, many people were on the bridge and they fell on the river."

And the Gujarat government gave a contract to a local company, Oreva,

to repair the 100-year-old suspension bridge.

But Oreva's main business was to make clocks and lighting.

"The renovation contract was given to a company that makes clocks,

calculators, not constructions, and certainly not bridges"

There was no evidence that this company had experience in repairing bridges.

And this is a systemic problem in our country.

Because our government uses the L1 method to issue contracts.

L1 method is the lowest-cost method.

That is, the contract is issued to the company that can work at the lowest cost.

It doesn't matter if the contractor has experience or quality.

In fact, a report by the Indian government showed that

many projects fail because of this method.

In 2002, the Central Vigilance Commission, a government body,

reported that many contracts are issued to companies

that don't have any qualifications.

And this is because of the L1 method.

Many companies make a fake budget to win a contract.

They deliberately show a low cost for everything.

If they show a low cost, they'll win the contract.

And this is what happens.

But the government is trying to change this.

On October 29, 2021, the Finance Ministry issued new guidelines on contracts.

They said that the quality of the contractor

will be assessed before issuing the contract.

This system is called quality-cum-cost-based selection.

But in its press release, the ministry also said that

this system won't replace the traditional L1 system.

In fact, it will be used in a few cases.

In 2021, the government said that this new system

will only be used for contracts worth less than Rs. 10 crores.

Two years later, this was changed.

But the government still didn't say that

this new system will be used in all projects.

So even today, L1 systems are used to develop infrastructure.

Even in this new system, not every contractor criterion is evaluated.

But this isn't logical.

Now think about it.

Does a government minister go to a contractor

who is the cheapest to build a house?

Or does he go to a contractor who has a good quality and budget?

If our ministers use this system for their homes,

shouldn't they use the same logic for the infrastructure of our country?

The infrastructure that millions of people use.

But the government isn't doing this.

To save money in the short term,

it's compromising the lives of the people in the long term.

The solution is very simple.

Many researchers have written about this solution.

It's a multi-criteria contractor selection framework.

Under this, multiple criteria of the contractor will be evaluated.

Be it bid price, financial capabilities, technical capabilities,

experience, performance, or health safety.

India isn't the first country to implement this system.

This system is used in the US and Europe.

But the problem is that it's difficult to take bribes in this system.

Even after securing the contract, companies make a second mistake.

They don't design the infrastructure properly.

For example, look at this.

On June 2022, PM Modi inaugurated the Pragati Maidan Corridor project.

It costed Rs.777 crore.

The PM said that a magnificent tunnel was built in such a short time.

"In such a short time, it wasn't easy to build this integrated transit corridor."

But what happened after two years?

This tunnel became useless.

"Look at the condition of the Pragati Maidan Tunnel."

"In such a short time, it wasn't easy to build this integrated transit corridor."

In fact, in the monsoon season of last year,

this project was non-operational for the general public

because of water blockages.

So a project was built with a cost of Rs.800 crore.

And in two years, it became useless.

It was said that many advanced facilities are being used in this tunnel,

like automated drainage.

But the Public Works Department said that

this project had technical and design flaws.

Many flaws were revealed.

Cracks, drainage, and water seepage.

Archit Pratap Singh, an urban planning expert,

said that to build a good underground tunnel,

you need to look at the soil and rock conditions.

But the Pragati Maidan Tunnel project didn't do this.

That's why it had poor waterproofing.

The water seepage problem was seen in Bihar as well.

The bridges here are falling apart like a house of cards.

"Only two weeks ago, the monsoon reached Bihar."

"But more than the water, the bridges are falling down."

"Look, the bridge across Janata Bazaar has fallen."

"Every day, news of a bridge collapse appears."

"In just 13 days, 7 bridges have fallen."

In the last 15 days, 7 bridges have fallen.

In Bhagalpur, an under-construction bridge built on the Ganga river,

fell not once, but twice.

How much money was spent?

Rs. 1,700 crore.

Construction engineer Soni Yadav said that

these projects didn't conduct proper soil testing.

Why? Because the contractor wanted to save money.

And corruption is rampant in Bihar.

Like Prashant Kishore says that

if you spend Rs. 100 to build a road, then Rs. 40 are stolen.

And the road is built for Rs. 60.

But we shouldn't blame the budget.

Look at our space organization ISRO.

Its budget is much lower than other space organizations.

Still they have good accomplishments.

The reason behind this is the technical quality of their staff,

which is still missing in the Indian construction industry.

Soni Yadav says that local contractors don't follow the blueprint

and instructions properly.

Whereas in Japan, if a building is built that is more than 5 storeys long,

you have to procure structural and aerodynamic certification from the government agency.

Wind tunnels and simulations are used

to test whether the new building will be able to stand there or not.

For such technical requirements, our country needs good engineers.

I'm not talking about software engineers.

Software engineering won't be enough to build bridges and flyovers.

Look at the state of our country.

Even in the midst of unemployment,

large construction companies like Larsen and Toubro

have a shortage of engineers and techies.

L&T says that the problem is that

skilled engineers go to the Middle East

because they get good pay and have a good work environment.

Only those engineers are left who don't have the skills.

We need to fill the skill gap or our contractors will keep making mistakes.

And even when they do, they don't get caught due to poor auditing.

In 2019, Mumbai's footover bridge collapsed, killing 6 people.

And listen to this.

6 months before the incident, Mumbai's municipal corporation BMC

got an audit report saying the bridge was fit to use,

but it needed minor repairs.

This audit was conducted when 3 years ago,

another bridge collapsed on the Mumbai-Goa highway.

And BMC gave a contract to a company to audit 314 subways,

skywalks, and bridges in Mumbai.

In the audit, it was said that 14 out of 314 should be demolished,

47 needs major repairs,

176 needs minor repairs, and 77 were fine.

And this CSG bridge was one of those 176 bridges

that were deemed fit to use with minor repairs.

If only minor repairs were needed,

would the bridge have collapsed like this in 6 months?

But after this incident, another BMC report said that

the audit wasn't conducted properly.

Then Mumbai police arrested Auditor Neeraj Kumar Desai,

whose company declared the bridge safe,

despite the corrosion in the structure.

Two engineers from the BMC's Bridges Department were also arrested

for not performing their duties properly.

But this is just one example

of how lightly our government officials take public safety.

The same thing happened in Delhi.

After the Delhi airport roof collapsed when the Aviation Minister was told

that the collapsed pillar had corrosion, he said that

he'd check whether the safety audit was conducted properly or not.

"The iron bars are rusted, and there's no paint on them."

"How could you be so careless?"

"We can't comment on this right now."

"We need to conduct a thorough investigation."

The problem is that there's no organization in our country

that's responsible for safety audits.

So whenever a roof or flyover falls,

we don't know who to blame.

If you protest, the government either fires or arrests some people.

But there's no structural change in our government.

We saw this in the case of Gujarat.

When the Morbi Bridge collapsed, the Municipal Authority

found out that the bridge was opened without a clearance certificate.

Nine people were arrested to appease the public,

including a ticketing clerk and three security guards,

because they didn't regulate the crowd properly.

But no one in the government took responsibility.

In fact, a few weeks ago,

the Gujarat High Court asked the Gujarat government

they had to submit an action-taken report after forming the Special Investigation Team

But that didn't happen.

In fact, the state High Court is asking the government

who's responsible for this.

If the state High Court doesn't know, who are we to find out?

You can see what's happening with your money

in the Pragati Maidan Tunnel in Delhi.

After the tunnel became useless,

the Public Work Department filed a fine on Larsen & Toubro Company

saying that the project had serious technical and design errors.

After that, the L&T put a counter-claim on the government of Rs 500 crores.

So now they'll fight over who's at fault, while you'll lose your life.

The accountability problem in Delhi is even more serious.

After a day's rain, Delhi was completely shut down.

It's true that the rain was heavy,

but the government didn't even prepare properly.

The Delhi High Court, in fact, predicted this situation

and said that the Delhi government should remove the waste

from the 22 open tunnels to clear the blockage.

But the Delhi government said in response that

they only control 3 out of 22 tunnels.

19 are under other departments.

And this is true.

This is the main problem in Delhi.

People don't know who's controlling what.

There are 4,000 km of stormwater drains in Delhi,

which are controlled by 8 different authorities.

8!

Now who will you blame?

Who will you shout at?

This is the state of roads and bridges.

The Indian Railways manages the railway bridge.

The National Highway Authority manages the national highway bridges.

The Border Road Organization manages the border areas.

The State Highway Authority manages the PWDs.

So people don't know which department is working on what.

And if a gutter overflows in Delhi,

how will we know which authority to call out of the 8?

That's why the High Court said that

we should fix this responsibility on one authority.

Because the lives of Indians are not as cheap as our governments think.