AJMER: In a scathing rebuke of public infrastructure oversight, Ajmer’s Judicial Magistrate Court Number-2 on Wednesday ordered the immediate closure of the newly inaugurated ₹243 crore Ramsetu bridge after it suffered structural damage during the season’s first rainfall — just days after opening to the public.
What was intended as a showcase of urban development in Rajasthan has now turned into a glaring symbol of alleged administrative failure and poor construction standards.
The order was issued by Judge Manmohan Chandel, who admitted a joint petition filed by two local residents as a public interest litigation (PIL). The court directed both the Ajmer Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Ajmer Smart City Ltd (ASCL) to file their responses by July 11. The suit, filed on July 5, led to notices being issued to the district collector, AMC, and ASCL. None of the officials appeared for the hearing on July 8, prompting a follow-up session the next day.
Despite the municipal corporation’s claim that it had already closed one of the four approach roads on the elevated structure, the court ruled that the entire bridge posed a public safety risk due to uniform construction materials used throughout.
What added fuel to public outrage were revelations during court proceedings that the project had gone ahead without proper expert consultation. Instead, crucial decisions were allegedly taken based on inputs from a local citizens’ forum. The bridge, operational for only a few days, reportedly showed serious structural degradation following the downpour on July 3.
As the court-mandated closure takes effect, serious questions loom over how such a high-value infrastructure project could collapse so quickly — and who will ultimately be held accountable.
