Mumbai, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday alleged corruption in the construction of the Atul Setu sea bridge connecting South Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, saying cracks had appeared in it within a few months of its inauguration, which that represents a threat to people's lives.
Patole, who inspected the bridge during the day, claimed that the quality of construction of the bridge was poor and that a portion of the road had collapsed by a foot.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed the opposition party and said that he was spreading lies on the issue.
His party and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is the nodal agency for the project, said the cracks were not in the bridge itself but on the approach road from Ulwe in Navi Mumbai.
In January this year, the 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu', also known as Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), connecting South Mumbai to the satellite city of Navi Mumbai, was inaugurated. Built at a cost of Rs 17,840 crore, this six-lane bridge is 21.8 km long with a sea link of 16.5 km.
Speaking to reporters, Patole alleged that the state government has crossed all limits of corruption and put people's lives at risk.
"A portion of the Atal Setu bridge has cracked within three months of its inauguration and a half-kilometre stretch of the road near Navi Mumbai has collapsed by a foot. The state has spent Rs 18,000 crore for the MTHL," he said.
"The bridge is named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and yet the government indulged in corruption. This is very unfortunate," she said.
Reacting to the Congress leader's allegations, the BJP said in X that the cracks observed are not in Atal Setu but on the road leading to the bridge.
Immediate repair work was carried out, he added.
"Stop defaming Atal Setu," he said.
The MMRDA issued a statement saying, "Rumors have been circulating about cracks on the MTHL bridge. We want to clarify that these cracks are not on the bridge itself, but on the approach road connecting the MTHL from Ulwe towards Mumbai."
During an inspection by the Operation and Maintenance team on June 20, 2024, minor cracks were found on the road surface near the edges at three places on Ramp 5 (the ramp towards Mumbai), he said.
"These cracks are minor and are located along the edge of the road. It is important to note that these cracks are not due to any structural defect. They are minor longitudinal cracks in the asphalt pavement, which can be repaired effectively without affecting life or safety. pavement performance," he said.
The contractor has already started repair work, which will be completed within 24 hours. These works are being carried out without causing any disruption to traffic, the agency added.
In his statement, Fadnavis said, "The images circulated by the Congress are of the access road. The Congress has a long-drawn plan to spread lies, be it a change in the Constitution, unlocking EVMs with a mobile phone and now this".
Patole, who inspected the bridge during the day, claimed that the quality of construction of the bridge was poor and that a portion of the road had collapsed by a foot.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed the opposition party and said that he was spreading lies on the issue.
His party and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is the nodal agency for the project, said the cracks were not in the bridge itself but on the approach road from Ulwe in Navi Mumbai.
In January this year, the 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu', also known as Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), connecting South Mumbai to the satellite city of Navi Mumbai, was inaugurated. Built at a cost of Rs 17,840 crore, this six-lane bridge is 21.8 km long with a sea link of 16.5 km.
Speaking to reporters, Patole alleged that the state government has crossed all limits of corruption and put people's lives at risk.
"A portion of the Atal Setu bridge has cracked within three months of its inauguration and a half-kilometre stretch of the road near Navi Mumbai has collapsed by a foot. The state has spent Rs 18,000 crore for the MTHL," he said.
"The bridge is named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and yet the government indulged in corruption. This is very unfortunate," she said.
Reacting to the Congress leader's allegations, the BJP said in X that the cracks observed are not in Atal Setu but on the road leading to the bridge.
Immediate repair work was carried out, he added.
"Stop defaming Atal Setu," he said.
The MMRDA issued a statement saying, "Rumors have been circulating about cracks on the MTHL bridge. We want to clarify that these cracks are not on the bridge itself, but on the approach road connecting the MTHL from Ulwe towards Mumbai."
During an inspection by the Operation and Maintenance team on June 20, 2024, minor cracks were found on the road surface near the edges at three places on Ramp 5 (the ramp towards Mumbai), he said.
"These cracks are minor and are located along the edge of the road. It is important to note that these cracks are not due to any structural defect. They are minor longitudinal cracks in the asphalt pavement, which can be repaired effectively without affecting life or safety. pavement performance," he said.
The contractor has already started repair work, which will be completed within 24 hours. These works are being carried out without causing any disruption to traffic, the agency added.
In his statement, Fadnavis said, "The images circulated by the Congress are of the access road. The Congress has a long-drawn plan to spread lies, be it a change in the Constitution, unlocking EVMs with a mobile phone and now this".
