Who is Madhavi Latha? Meet the IISc professor behind the world’s tallest Chenab Bridge in Kashmir

Madhavi Latha from IISc’s Civil Engineering Department, played a pivotal advisory role in the design and construction of the ₹1,486-crore Chenab Bridge.

When India’s most audacious railway project, the Chenab Bridge in Jammu & Kashmir, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, the spotlight turned not just to the world’s tallest railway arch, but also to one of its key behind-the-scenes minds, Prof G Madhavi Latha from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

Prof G Madhavi Latha from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.(X/IISC)

Deccan Herald reported that for nearly two decades, Prof Latha, a rock engineering expert from IISc’s Civil Engineering Department, played a pivotal advisory role in the design and construction of the ₹1,486-crore Chenab Bridge, an engineering feat that now connects the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country by rail. 

Rising 359 metres above the riverbed, the bridge towers taller than the Eiffel Tower and spans 1,315 metres across the rugged Himalayan terrain.

Her contribution, as reported by Deccan Herald, involved guiding the stability of the slopes and the design of bridge foundations, a critical aspect in one of India’s most geologically challenging zones. 

Latha was roped in by Northern Railways and the project contractor Afcons in 2005, as part of IISc’s long-term consulting support for the project.

Design-as-you-go approach

Unlike traditional construction methods, the team adopted a “design-as-you-go” approach. “We had to constantly adapt, because the initial geological data didn’t match the reality of the rock conditions when we began excavation,” Latha told DH. 

Initially, another IISc faculty member worked with her on the project, but when he stepped away after a few years, Latha took over the responsibility through to completion in 2022, when full-speed train trials began.

On social media, IISc acknowledged the milestone. “We are proud of Prof Madhavi Latha & her team's contribution to the #ChenabBridge,” the institute posted on X, noting their work on slope stability, rock anchors, and foundational design to withstand geological hazards.