The IAStructE – IIIT Hyderabad student chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Centre organized an online Guest Lecture on 4th September 2024. The lecture, titled “A Case Study on Deopani Bridge – Gateway to Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh” was delivered by Dr. M. Kishore Kumar, IES (Retd.), Former Director, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Ministry of Defense, Govt. of India. Currently, he is associated with KPC Projects Hyderabad as Chief General Manager. The event was open to faculty members, structural engineers, industry people, postgraduates, and research students.

The lecture commenced with an overview of the original site, highlighting the region's geographical and environmental challenges. The bridge, a vital link to the Dibang Valley, is a part of the strategic infrastructure aimed at enhancing connectivity in the northeastern region of India. The speaker discussed the various aspects of constructing a 300 m long bridge on river Deopani (locally known as Eze River), a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra river in Eastern Arunachal Pradesh. Dr. Kumar elaborated on the salient features of the permanent bridge, which included a robust structural design to withstand the extreme river conditions. Key technical aspects, such as the necessity for adopting the ‘Well foundation’ and details on the bridge girder design, were emphasized. He explained how the project execution was riddled with difficulties, including logistical delays, contractual conflicts, very high seepage rates, and encountering large boulders during substructure construction. The speaker also highlighted innovative problem-solving approaches, such as revising the foundation levels to get rid of the delays occurring in the sinking of wells under flash floods and landslides. In conclusion, the lecture offered valuable lessons on managing complex civil engineering projects in challenging terrains, making it an enriching experience for professionals and students alike.