The State government has formed three high-level teams to inspect roads that got damaged within a year of their construction by the Public Works Department.
The inspection teams, one each in the southern, central and northern circles of the department, have also been asked to inspect the ongoing works at random. An Executive Engineer will head each team, which will have an Assistant Executive Engineer and an Assistant Engineer as members.
Executive Engineers in charge of road maintenance, quality management and social, legal and environmental matters and Assistant Engineers in charge of policy guidelines and environment have been deputed to the teams.
Official sources say the teams, set up at the request of the Chief Engineer (Designs and Administration), are in addition to the teams already engaged in the work. The order comes in the wake of reports that many roads have been damaged within a year of their re-laying. The government has made it clear that the roads that get damaged so soon will have to be repaired by the contractor. Public Works Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju has said that the cost of the repairs will be recovered from the contractor on failure to undertake the work.
The inspection teams have been authorised to collect samples of the finished work. They have been asked to verify the files to check the test results of the materials and the material collection reports. The teams will have to make a note of the general condition of the work and the defects found on the roads.
The samples will be tested in any of the government engineering colleges and polytechnics. Official sources say the teams will have to prepare detailed reports on the quality and quantity of the works.
The Executive Engineers of the building circles have been asked to collect a list of works from the circle, division and sub-division offices and to make them available to the teams. The teams will have to inspect at least three works a week.
The government has asked the teams to submit the report with their findings and specific remarks to the Secretary, PWD. Taking into account the urgency of the issue and the need to repair the roads, the teams have been asked to submit interim reports to the Secretary.
