The Indian Institute of Welding (IIW-India) has proposed to provide data on welded bridges in India to the government, so that their lifespan can be increased for use by pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
The proposal was submitted in the form of a petition to the Union Minister for Urban Development, Hardeep Singh Puri recently. IIW-India has also offered to share advancements in welding sciences and setting up protocols for mandatory structural and safety audits.
“We believe that unified norms, if notified for all welded public infrastructure including bridges, will ensure their increased lifespan for use by pedestrian and vehicular traffic,” Kamal Shah, chairman, Indian Institute of Welding (Mumbai branch) said.
IIW-India pointed out that while the Jubilee Rail Bridge constructed in 1887 over Hooghly River in West Bengal is still considered safe for rail traffic, skywalks and foot overbridges in Mumbai that were built just one or two decades ago are shutting down for being unsafe.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to close about 20 bridges, declared dangerous, this monsoon, impacting the mobility of millions of commuters. IIW-India has pointed out the lack of unified norms for welded structures as the reason for this disparity.
IIW also plans to hold a day-long session on ‘Role of Welding in Urban/Public Infrastructure- Bridges’ as a part of their 3-day International Conference and Welding Congress scheduled in the first week of February 2020 in Mumbai.
Weld India 2020, an exhibition showcasing the best in International welding will also be held simultaneously at the same venue. Subject experts from across the globe will be invited to the conference to make their presentations and also be available for consultations with government officials on gratis.
Senior officials from Public Works Department and Urban Local Bodies of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Karnataka along with officials from National Highway Authority, Indian Railway and Konkan Railway officials will be invited for the conference.