TTT NEWS NETWORK
NEW DELHI |13 JUNE 2025
Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), who played a pivotal role in the construction of ‘Chenab Bridge’, has hailed it as “a marvel of New India”. During his visit to Rail Bhavan in New Delhi, he shared insights from his key role in India’s most ambitious railway infrastructure project.
He emphasised that the realisation of the Chenab Bridge was not only due to the efforts of thousands of engineers and workers, but also the contribution of every Indian. “It was a collective national dream,” he said.
Reflecting on the iconic journey of the Chenab Bridge, he recalled, “When I first set foot in the Chenab Valley in 2005, I had no idea I was part of a new history. The geography was extremely challenging, the ground unstable and the expectations sky-high. But our vision was clear, we weren’t just building infrastructure, we were building national pride.”
Soaring 359 metres above the Chenab River, the bridge is now a global engineering landmark. Describing the nearly two-decade-long process as “a journey of science, spirit and national consciousness,” Prof. Sitharam highlighted the dedication of thousands of engineers, workers and scientists.
He elaborated on the innovative “design-as-you-go” approach adopted with his team from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), which relied on real-time field data, advanced simulations and adaptive engineering techniques to tackle the region’s seismic instability and complex terrain. “Every rivet, every foundation, every support structure wasn’t just about engineering, it was an act of belief,” he said.
He concluded with a message to India’s youth, “Engineering is not limited to laboratories. The Chenab Bridge is living proof that with dedication, sincerity and love for the Nation, even the impossible becomes possible. We have to believe in ourselves. If we can build a bridge over the Chenab, our young Indians can reach any height.”
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