Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj on Thursday took contractors and consultants of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to task during his visit to the site of a wall collapse in the Valachil area on NH 48.
The wall collapsed on Tuesday evening and damaged five houses in the vicinity. One of the houses was completely damaged, forcing the residents to take shelter in a nearby madrasa.
Mr. Ponnuraj, during his visit, found that the 12-ft-high wall did not even have a concrete bed (foundation) and was constructed in such a manner that it was bound to collapse at any time. Further inspection by the contractors in the area revealed many more lapses.It was found that the contractors had blocked the exit route for several houses in the area by constructing the wall. Abu Bakkar (75), a wood merchant, complained that ever since the wall was built he was unable to carry on with his business.
Mr. Ponnuraj found that the house of P.K. Rafique (40), a resident of the area, was standing precariously at the edge of a vertical drop. Upon enquiry, it was revealed that the contractors had removed the soil, even as Mr. Rafique expressed fears that in the absence of necessary scaffolding his house might collapse during the monsoon.
The contractors' silence over his demand for an explanation prompted Mr. Ponnuraj to ask, “How can you conduct such unscientific work being qualified engineers?”
He promised the aggrieved residents that they would be compensated for the losses. He said that for the construction of a proper retaining wall more land was needed to which the residents agreed.
However, some people said that the acquisition rate fixed by the Government was too low. Mr. Ponnuraj said that he would ensure a fair price for the land in consultation with NHAI officials. Later, Mr. Ponnuraj told presspersons that he was alarmed by the negligence shown by the NHAI and its consultants and contractors. “The problem is that the NHAI concerns itself only with the paperwork, but its officials do not inspect ongoing work being carried out by unscrupulous contractors,” he said.
“I will write to NHAI asking them to acquire the land here and build a proper retaining wall. I will arbitrate the entire acquisition process and arrive at a fair price for the land through consensus,” he added.
Stating that this was not an isolated case, he expressed fears that due to unscientific excavations and landfills in other parts of the highway project, similar accidents might be waiting to happen.
