As govt spends crores on road connectivity under PMGSY, poor quality material used in macademisation in Anantnag
On Mahind-Srigufwara road, contractor using manually prepared ‘dry mix’ , People allege contractor-engineer nexus
By: Tariq Bhatt ST Reporter
Anantnag, Sep 29: Government might be spending crores on the road connectivity across Jammu and Kashmir, but the contractors in nexus with the officials are allegedly using poor quality material in the construction or widening of roads under PMGSY, a Dehli sponsored scheme. Due to the use of sub-standard material these roads suffer wide cracks or potholes immediately after being macadamized with no action being taken against the contractors or engineers supposed to check the works during execution.
PMGSY presently is constructing or carrying out widening of many major roads. However complaints from various areas of Anantnag are galore about the use of sub-standard material by the contractors.
Official sources in PMGSY revealed that most of the contractors being allotted the road projects are executing the works in complete violation of the estimate.
“A contractor or company having been allotted the contract is supposed to execute the work as per estimate but they don’t give damn to it as they always have nexus with junior engineers supposed to monitor their works,” an official posted with PMGSY for last five years told Shaherbeen Times.
The sub-standard material being used in these road projects , the official said, often results into cracks or complete removal of the black topping of these roads within months after the completion.
For instance, road from Kathsoo to Gojran in Pahalgam area which was constructed and macadamized nearly two years ago is now in the same old condition.
At most of the places, the black topping of the road stands completely removed at most of the spots.
Similarly the patches on the Bijbehara-Sirhama road after being macadamized a year ago suffered wide cracks within weeks and months. The black topping between Wopzan-Kandipora stretch got completely removed due to the usage of su -standard material. The patch was, later macadamized again after the locals highlighted the issue through social media. However, locals from Kandipora village complained that the road has developed major potholes at many places even after being macademised second time.
People from many areas of Anantnag where construction or widening of road is going on complained to Precious Kashmir that the companies or contractors having been allotted these works are using poor quality material in total violation of the estimates.
A resident of Hatigam who has worked as a engineer with a private construction company said that the contractor is using river bed material having a major share of mud in the sub-base course for widening of Mahind-Srigufwara road. “He is supposed to use GSB (grangular sub-base with proper gradation) for the purpose but the junior engineer supposed to check the quality of material is allowing him to use the material of his choice which speaks of the nexus between the two,” the resident said.
The contractor is also manually preparing wet mix beneath the macadam which is not totally allowed.
“Wet mix prepared at plants has to be used in the macadamisation but the contractor is preparing it manually at the banks of Dadi kanal and is using the same. I am damn sure that this macadam will not last for more than few months,” the resident said.
Similar river bed material with a mix of mud and manually prepared wet mix was used in the widening and macademisation of Sirhama-Nowshehra road.
Resident of Nowshehra, Hatigam and Mahind complained that the contractors did give any damn to the schedule in the construction of boundary walls.
“The quantity of cement in the construction of boundary walls was too low that these walls have started developing cracks even before the completion of work. The boundary wall near a bridge on Srigufwara almost collapsed within days which speaks of the quality of work,” residents said.
They appealed the LG administration to look into the matter.
“What is the fun of wasting the public money in crores when this macadam does not last even for months. LG must look into it himself as PMGSY authorities seem to have given complete liberty to the contractor,” said a resident.
Reports of usage of sub-standard material in construction of roads were recieved from other areas of Anantnag.
Am official revealed to Shaherbeen Times that the top officials of PMGSY recieved many complaints with regard to the use of poor quality material in these roads. “But I don’t think any action was taken in this regard,” said the official.
Executive engineer , PMGSY Anantnag, Khalid Mehmood did not respond to repeated calls for his version.
