By Professor Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad:
The Chenab bridge in Jammu-et-Cachemire is the highest in the world and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025. The project is part of the 272 kilometers Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Link (USBRL), which was approved in 2003. At the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISC) in Bengaluru. She was involved in the Chenab Bridge project for 17 years as a geotechnical consultant. His expertise in rock engineering has proven to be essential during 17 years of dedicated involvement.
She worked in close collaboration with Afcons, the bridge entrepreneur, in planning, design and construction of the structure, focusing on the obstacles laid down by the field. Professor Latha finished his B. Tech in civil engineering in 1992 of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, where she reached first class with distinction. She put a gold medal as a student M.Tech at the National Institute of Technology in Warangal. His specialization was in geotechnical engineering. Dr. Latha completed his doctorate of Iit-Madras in 2000 in geotechnical engineering.
Over the years, she has received several awards. In 2021, she received the best woman from a geotechnical researcher by the Indian Geotechnical Society. She was also appointed in the 75 best women of Steam of India in 2022. I would like to mention that steam education is an approach to the teaching of STEM materials which integrate artistic skills, such as creative thought and design. The name derives from the acronym STEM, with an “A” added to defend the arts. Steam programs aim to teach innovation, critical thinking and the application of engineering or technology in imaginative conceptions or creative approaches to real world problems, while relying on the mathematical and scientific foundations of students. The difficult topography, the weather conditions and the distant location of the Chenab bridge made construction a difficult company in the region.
Professor Latha's team adopted a “design approach to these” to overcome all obstacles. This meant innovating in real time based on geological conditions such as fractured rocks, hidden cavities and variable rock properties, which were not apparent in the first surveys. The team made complex calculations and design modifications to adapt to real rock conditions encountered during construction. His contributions included advice on the design and placement of rock anchors to improve stability.
She recently published an article in the special female issue of the Indian Geotechnical Journal entitled “Design As You Go: The Case Study of Chenab Railway Bridge”. The article describes how the design of the bridge has evolved continuously, the global structure, the location and the type being the only constants to adapt to the geological conditions of the site. The project was built for Rs 1,486 crore. The Chenab bridge has been described as the “greatest civil engineering challenge encountered by any rail project in India in recent history” by the government. The 359 -meter bridge is larger than the 35 -meter Eiffel Tower. The project aims to improve connectivity in the cashmere valley. With the development of this project, the economic growth of Jammu and Kashmir should accelerate at a high rate.
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