Pilot study shows river bridges in Kolhapur prone to flooding & landslides risks, suggests measures to make structures sustain extreme conditions

Kolhapur: A ‘risk and vulnerability' pilot assessment of 15 bridges across rivers in Kolhapur district has found flooding to be the most frequent and severe threat, mainly caused by overflowing rivers and heavy monsoon rainfall. Landslides, particularly in the hilly areas, are the next significant hazard, followed by moderate seismic risks and minimal cyclone-related threats, the study showed.Kolhapur has repeatedly faced floods, and some landslides — as seen in 2005, 2015, 2019 and 2021. Floods and heavy rainfall cause both direct costs, such as repair and reconstruction, and indirect costs like disruption of transport across rivers.The study was conducted by a research team led by expert Sachidanand Joshi. The UBMS Research Group — focused on bridge management — carried out the analysis in Dec 2025 and Jan 2026, submitting its findings to the Kolhapur district disaster management authority headed by collector Amol Yedge earlier this month. The study followed globally accepted standards, and aimed to provide resilience planning, prioritisation of interventions and informed decision-making.Prasad Sankpal, head of the district disaster management department, told TOI, "The study has proposed measures to strengthen bridges against flood impacts."Bridges on the Panchganga and Warana river basins — many located along key state highways — were assessed during the pilot study, which included a structural health assessment of decks, superstructures, substructures, bearings, expansion joints and foundations. The pilot also recorded signs of distress like cracking, reinforcement corrosion, bearing wear and joint deterioration.The report highlighted that most bridges were over 50 years old, except the Ibrahimpur, Majgaon and Gothe bridges. The oldest, Kur and Balinge bridges, are nearly 90 years old. "Due to their age, fatigue and overloading are major causes of deterioration," the report stated, adding that except for four bridges, all showed severe distress. The report stated that all surveyed bridges faced a risk of collapse under three flooding-related failure scenarios, and some also showed similar risks related to earthquakes. Sankpal said a similar assessment would be conducted for over 200 bridges in the district, with funding proposals to be sent under non-mitigation study funds. "The group has developed this assessment system and has already evaluated 10,000 bridges across India," he added