Let’s make meeting deadline the new normal

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It seems like a bridge too far for the civic authorities as yet another deadline for the completion of Hancock bridge is now set at June 15. The deadline to open the bridge has already been extended several times. The most recent was before May 31. But, now the bridges department has expressed its inability to meet the deadline and says it will take another 15 days. The work of Carnac bridge is dependent on Hancock bridge, which has been under construction for two years after the first deadline, a report stated in this paper.

The 148-year-old Hancock bridge was demolished in 2016 after being declared dilapidated. It is the key link for east-west connectivity. The construction began in 2019 and the bridge was supposed to be completed in 2020.

An official has been cited in a report stating there are a number of reasons for the delay, which include the pandemic. Now, they say minor works remain and the bridge opening is scheduled for mid-June.

The 151-year-old Carnac Bunder bridge, which is in a dangerous condition, can only be demolished once Hancock Bridge opens for traffic.
Costs have also gone up, as is inevitable, because of the delay.

Authorities now have to see that the June deadline is met as work is only going to get more challenging once the rains come down in all their fury. There is also the fact that we are seeing COVID-19 cases rise again and because pandemic delayed work earlier, something maybe not on a similar scale but a hitch nevertheless, may still push this back.

Let the new normal, like we call it, include projects wrapping up on time and schedules for infra being met. A sceptical citizenry will start believing this when deadlines are met. Good planning and excellent coordination between departments are the base on which this should be built.