The collapse of a portion of the newly constructed ₹7,000-crore Missing Link tunnel on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, barely nine weeks after inauguration, is not a minor accident. It is a serious warning about the dangerous model of infrastructure development being pushed by governments that serve contractors and corporate interests while ignoring public safety, climate risks and environmental stability.
This project was promoted as an “engineering marvel” and opened with great publicity. But one spell of heavy rainfall and landslide conditions was enough to bring traffic on one of Maharashtra’s busiest highways to a standstill, leaving thousands of people stranded for hours. Instead of accepting responsibility, the government tried to shift the blame to “unprecedented rainfall”. But in the age of climate change, extreme rain is no longer unexpected. Any responsible government must design tunnels, highways and hill-road projects with climate resilience, slope stability, drainage safety and independent technical scrutiny.
When public money is poured into mega projects without transparency, environmental care and accountability, the result is not development. It is danger. Governments that prioritise corporate contracts over people’s lives must be held answerable. Climate-resilient infrastructure, independent audits and strict action against corruption are no longer optional. They are matters of public survival.
