Family members of Kanjibhai Mailabhai Machi, who was killed in the bridge collapse, at their one-room house in Gujarat’s Gambhira village. (Ritu Sharma)
For more than 40 years, the bridge over Mahi was a lifeline for the residents of Gambhira village in Anand district, saving them the trouble of having to travel an extra 70 km to work in the factories of Vadodara on the other side. So much so, the bridge itself came to be known as Gambhira.
Today, a day after a portion of the bridge collapsed, no one from the village went to work. They were mourning the deaths of two of their own in the accident, with the death toll rising to 18 on Thursday. They were also staring at an uncertain future.
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“Taking a detour will mean travelling 70 km, instead of 10 km, to the factory. Four of our family members, all working with us in the same factory, have not returned home since yesterday after the bridge collapsed. They are doing two-three shifts. Only when we report for work will they be able to take a break and return home,” said Piyush Machhi (21).
Piyush was with Dharmesh Nijama (25), both workers at a pharmaceutical company in Vadodara. “There are many like us who were unable to go to work and relieve their family members working in the same firm,” said Dharmesh. Both got jobs in the factory after completing their training from the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Vadodara.
With limited employment opportunities and hardly any agricultural prospects, a majority of residents across age groups in Gambhira, with an estimated population of 13,000, depended on the bridge to commute to work mostly in pharma companies.
“Now with the detour, it would mean an additional financial burden of about Rs 300 every day plus the travel time,” said Harikrishna Machhi (37), who works at a chemical factory in Karakadi, nearly 30 km away, for a monthly salary of Rs 25,000.
Local residents say the two from the village who died in the collapse — Jashbhai Shankarbhai Harijan (58) and Kanjibhai Mailabhai Machi (75) — were on their way to work in the GIDC area when the autorickshaw they were travelling in fell in the Mahi river as the bridge collapsed.
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“The village is mourning the two deaths but we are also worried that with limited travel options and poor resources, we have no way to reach our jobs now,” Laljibhai Amarsinh Padhiar (45), the sarpanch, said.
“Survival is a big challenge now,” said Alpeshbhai Valand (34) who works in a private company in Vadodara and runs a family of six, including a mentally challenged brother, within a monthly salary of Rs 24,000. “It is an extra distance of 40-45 km for me. I tried to make my employer understand the situation but I have been asked to report at the earliest without any expectation of a raise in salary,” he said.
The kilometre-long bridge connected Gambhira to Mujpur on the Vadodara side, and was also the preferred route for heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles travelling between Saurashtra and Central Gujarat.
The impact of the collapse was visible a day later at the Dwarkesh Manan hotel close to the entry point of the bridge from the Gambhira side. “People headed to work or returning from night shifts would stop by for refreshments. But now, there are no vehicles so we have closed the hotel… there is no point in retaining the staff,” the owner said.
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“The administration does not realise what this bridge was for us. It was the link providing our daily bread,” said 19-year-old Piyushbhai from the Dalit Vas area of the village who dropped out of school after Class X following the death of his father four years ago.
“Every day, I take an autorickshaw and a state transport bus to reach my workplace and start my eight-hour housekeeping shift (at a pharma company). I am the only earning person in my five-member family, with a monthly salary of just Rs 10,000… I cannot imagine spending more money now just on travel,” he said.
Ritu Sharma is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express' Gujarat bureau, an editorial position that reflects her experience and Authority in regional journalism. With over a decade of concentrated reporting experience, she is a highly Trustworthy and specialized journalist, especially noted for her Expertise in the education sector across Gujarat and previously Chandigarh.
Expertise
Primary Authority (Education): With over ten years of dedicated reporting on education in both Gujarat and Chandigarh, Ritu Sharma is a foremost authority on educational policy, institutional governance, and ground realities from "KG to PG." Her coverage includes:
Higher Education: In-depth scrutiny of top institutions like IIM-Ahmedabad (controversies over demolition/restoration of heritage architecture), IIT-Bombay (caste discrimination issues), and new initiatives like international branch campuses in GIFT City.
Schooling & Policy: Detailed coverage of government schemes (Gyan Sadhana School Voucher Scheme), the implementation and impact of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, teacher recruitment issues, and the impact of national policies like the NEP.
Student Welfare: Reporting on critical issues such as suicide allegations due to caste discrimination, and the challenges faced by students (e.g., non-delivery of NAMO tablets). ... Read More
