India's infrastructure crisis: Bridge collapses, urban gridlocks, struggle for accountability

India’s infrastructure story in 2025 is a paradox. On the one hand, the government is investing trillions in national highways, healthcare systems, airports, and smart cities. On the other, there is a wave of failures—from collapsing bridges and cratered roads to dysfunctional telecom networks and overcrowded hospitals. Calling it an infrastructure crisis wouldn't be hyperbole.

Recent incidents, including the fatal Gambhira bridge collapse in Gujarat and traffic paralysis in Gurugram due to heavy rains, have sparked a national conversation on quality, accountability, and corruption in infrastructure projects.

Bridge collapses & road cave-ins: A growing public safety concern

The Gambhira bridge in Vadodara collapsed on July 9, 2025, killing at least nine people. It was not an isolated event. Just three weeks earlier, a bridge in Pune crumbled, killing four. Both failures occurred during the monsoon season—a recurring theme in India’s infrastructure breakdowns.

Roads have fared no better. In Gwalior, a newly built 18-crore road caved in within 15 days. Similar cases have emerged from Indore, Noida, Chennai, and Chandigarh, often exposing a lethal mix of poor drainage systems, substandard materials, and lax oversight.

These incidents are not just unfortunate accidents—they signal a pattern. A Twitter user, @WeDravidians, called out “continuous infrastructure failures” under BJP governance, pointing to failed mega projects and deteriorating highways. Public anger is spilling online, where corruption, poor construction, and political neglect dominate the conversation.

Gurugram gridlock: How flawed urban planning chokes cities

On the same day as the Vadodara bridge collapse, Gurugram was brought to a halt by just 12 hours of rain—133 mm in total. Roads like MG Road and Golf Course Extension Road were waterlogged. The administration advised residents to work from home to avoid another day of chaos.

This wasn’t a freak event. Gurugram’s woes are emblematic of urban India, where drainage systems fail to match the speed of urbanisation. Frequent town planning changes and poor road maintenance contribute to chronic congestion and flooding.

A December 2023 government report had already raised red flags—431 large infrastructure projects were delayed, costing the exchequer ₹4.82 lakh crore in overruns. The reasons? Poor planning, coordination gaps, and weak accountability, especially in state-level urban bodies.

Healthcare and education: infrastructure gaps in essential services

India's healthcare system continues to struggle with capacity and access. Rural areas remain chronically underserved, with only 26% of doctors catering to 72% of the population. Urban hospitals, by contrast, are overcrowded, underfunded, and ill-equipped for emergencies.

The government has launched the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), aiming to strengthen 17,788 rural health centres and build over 11,000 urban ones. But public health spending still lingers below 2% of GDP, far from the 5-6% needed to match global standards.

India has over 14.7 lakh schools, but more than 1.52 lakh still lack electricity. A large number have no internet, no libraries, and sometimes no buildings. The UDISE+ 2023–24 report highlights that over 6,000 schools don’t have a permanent structure.

These gaps not only affect access but also deepen the urban-rural education divide, preventing millions from achieving basic literacy and digital literacy goals outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-4).

Telecom and communication: A network full of holes

India boasts over 1.16 billion mobile subscribers. But outages are frequent, and rural connectivity remains fragile. A Reliance Jio blackout on June 16, left thousands without service, while multiple internet shutdowns have affected daily life and emergency response.

The problem isn’t just operational. Spectrum availability in India is less than half of what’s available in China or Europe. Telecom operators are saddled with over ₹4 lakh crore in debt, and rural expansion remains unviable without subsidies.

The Telecommunications Act 2023 aims to harmonise Right of Way (RoW) rules and ease infrastructure deployment, but implementation is slow and fragmented.

Highway construction & maintenance: Big numbers, big problems

India’s ambition to build a 2 lakh-km national highway network by 2025 has led to record levels of construction. Yet, many of these roads are already falling apart. In March 2025, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari publicly criticised the poor quality of construction and substandard Detailed Project Reports.

Cave-ins, cracks, and collapses are frequent. ForumIAS notes that in Bihar alone, 15 bridges collapsed in one year. The gaps aren’t in funding—they’re in oversight, execution, and long-term maintenance.

A government pouring in funds but struggling with delivery

The numbers are staggering. The National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) outlines $1.4 trillion in investments. Capital expenditure in the Union Budget 2025-26 is a record-breaking ₹11.21 lakh crore—3.1% of GDP. Private investment is also robust, with real estate funding reaching $2.77 billion in Q2 2024.

Infrastructure’s share of GDP is projected to rise from 5.3% in FY24 to 6.5% by FY29. FDI in infrastructure activities has crossed ₹2.5 lakh crore since 2000, and private players like the Adani Group have pledged massive investments—₹30,237 crore in Kerala alone.

Despite ambitious blueprints like PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy, there is a visible implementation lag. Local-level corruption, poor coordination between ministries, and low-quality contractors are recurring themes in failure reports.

Public sentiment: A trust deficit fuelled by social media

Much of the criticism is now amplified through platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where users are not mincing words.

@shaandelhite noted that bridge collapses are mostly occurring in BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. @Kings_Gambit__ pointed to corruption, alleging that bridges are “collapsing just weeks after inauguration.”

One post by @SolidBoosters reached over 1.5 lakh views, suggesting the scale of public interest and frustration. This is no longer a niche concern; infrastructure failures are now front and centre in political debates and voter expectations.

Solutions on the table: Will they be implemented?

Experts suggest a series of reforms:

• Better project management through digital tracking and accountability tools under the PM Gati Shakti GIS-based platform.
• Enhanced training for engineers, contractors, and bureaucrats managing public works.
• Third-party audits and citizen oversight to monitor infrastructure quality.
• Standardising guidelines across states to ensure that roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals meet minimum construction and maintenance benchmarks.

Moreover, a “programme management” approach—used in large-scale international projects—is being suggested by think tanks like ForumIAS. This method focuses on monitoring all moving parts of a project lifecycle, from design to delivery to maintenance.

A make-or-break moment for India’s infrastructure future

India is building fast—but not always well. The last few months have exposed the fault lines: fatal bridge collapses, flooded streets, malfunctioning hospitals, and digital blackouts.

While the government continues to push for growth, the cracks—literal and metaphorical—are starting to show. Unless the focus shifts from only spending to how money is spent, India risks wasting its infrastructure dividend.

The road to becoming a US$5 trillion economy cannot be built on crumbling bridges and unlit classrooms. Accountability, transparency, and quality must become non-negotiable if India hopes to match its ambitions with delivery.