Grill of bridge, declared unsafe, collapses in Pune’s Mulshi taluka

2 min readPuneJul 8, 2026 09:50 PM IST

The bridge was declared unsafe for four-wheelers and heavy vehicles by the gram panchayat since the past few years. (Express Photo)

The protective grill of a bridge connecting Hotale village and Girivan to the Kolwan-Paud road in Mulshi taluka has collapsed due to heavy rain in the past two days, making the route dangerous for vehicles. The grill had already been heavily damaged around 10 days ago due to a vehicle crashing into it. Further, the bridge itself has been declared unsafe for four-wheelers and heavy vehicles by the gram panchayat since the past few years and a warning board has been installed at the bridge.

Dhanashree Palkar, gram panchayat sarpanch, said, “The grill was damaged in an accident 10-12 days ago and completely got swept away due to the rain in the last two days. The bridge itself is dangerous for heavy vehicles and we have requested the government for a completely new bridge.” She added that construction work in Girivan, a private hill station with multiple properties and bungalows, leads to heavy vehicles plying on the bridge.

Devika Nadig, secretary of Girivan Welfare Society, said, “We have been trying with the gram panchayat and the zilla parishad to repair the bridge. The river, when in spate, is really ferocious. The children of all the workers who work here go to the government school in the village beyond the stream by bus. The bridge is dangerous for them to travel also.”

Gram Sevak Poonam Suryavanshi told The Indian Express that she had urged the authorities to repair the bridge. “The bridge is under the Public Works Department and I have written a letter to them. The grill will be repaired in the next two days.”

Last year, a bridge in Kundamala, declared unfit for vehicular movement, collapsed and led to the deaths of several tourists.

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.

Professional Background

Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.

Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.

Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:

1. Investigations & Governance

"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.

"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.

2. Education & Campus Life

Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.

"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.

"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.

3. Human Rights & Social Issues

"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.

"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.

Signature Style

Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.

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