There have been bridge collapses in the city and the Morbi tragedy takes us back to the dark days when innocent citizens perished as infrastructure gave way due to some reason or the other. If there is something, it is the takeaways from tragedies, the lessons that should serve as cautionary tales and constant reminders for us.

The Gujarat disaster must teach those at the helm to be doubly careful and put human life first. Infrastructure that has been recently repaired—and this is not just bridges—must be thoroughly checked by experts before being opened for public use. The agency contracted to undertake repairs must be absolutely top class and the work, a reflection of that. How many times have we seen facilities that are shoddily repaired being opened too soon for the public? In fact, at times, these structures fall apart a couple of days or even hours after their inauguration.