Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday got emotional during an event at Guajarat's Banaskantha while talking about the overcrowded “hanging bridge” in Morbi district that collapsed on Sunday evening in one of the biggest disasters the country has recently seen.
"It is very painful, He is distressed, he was not sure whether he should come to attend this event or not," the Prime Minister said (in Gujarati) while speaking at an event in the Banaskantha district. He then paused for a moment and said, "it is a developmental project inaguration event, and people who have supported and loved him made him feel responsible to come to this event," as per a video tweeted by the official handle of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"It is your affection that inspired me to attend to this event," Modi stated.
During a public event on Monday, the Prime Minister visited Tharad in Banaskantha, where he laid foundation stone of water delivery projects worth over Rs. 8000. PM also laid the groundwork for various projects, including the Rs. 1560 crore Kasara-Dantiwada Pipeline from the main Narmada Canal.
The project will increase water supplies while also benefiting local farmers. Several projects will be announced during the programme, including the reinforcement of the Sujlam Suflam Canal, the extension of the Modhera-Moti Dau pipeline to the Mukteshwar Dam-Karmavat Lake, and a lift irrigation plan for 11 villages in Santalpur Taluka, among others, as per a statement by Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Just hours before the incident, PM Modi had reached his home state to lay the foundation stone of the Tata-Airbus manufacturing plant in Vadodara. As tragedy hit the Morbi district, he asked Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to mobilize rescue operations. The Chief Minister's office (CMO) on Monday said PM Modi would be visiting on Tuesday.
"In this hour of sorrow, the government is there for the grieving families in every way. Since yesterday, the Gujarat government has been conducting relief and rescue activities. The central government is also assisting the state administration in whatever way it can," PM Modi made the remarks while speaking at a ceremony commemorating Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel's birth anniversary on Monday.
The footbridge across the Machchhu River in Morbi town, erected under British rule, reopened last week after renovations. When it fell on Sunday evening, it was filled with tourists enjoying the holiday festivities. According to reports, the bridge fell 33 feet into the river.
According to Sandeepsinh Zala, the chief officer of Morbi municipality, Gujarat-based electrical appliance producer Oreva group, known for its Ajanta clocks, has been in responsibility of maintaining the bridge for 15 years. It is also unknown whether the bridge possessed a clearance certificate, reported news agency Reuters.