CANACONA: Utter chaos and fear prevailed in Canacona on Friday morning following the collapse of retaining walls of an under-pass culvert. The retaining walls of one-side of the over-bridge on the under-construction 4-lane of NH-66 at Chaar-Raasta too have suffered wide cracks. The traffic on the highway had to be partially diverted via Ponsulem from Chaudi and Char-Rasta junction as Police, Fire Services personnel along with Canacona Mamlatdar Ramesh Gaonkar stood guard to meet any eventuality. There were no reports of any injury or casualty.
According to sources, around 5.30 am on Friday, nearby residents of Char-Rasta heard some disturbing sound coming from the under-pass on the under-construction 4-lane road. It was soon followed by another shattering sound from the same direction. Some people who rushed to the site noticed the retaining walls of newly constructed road at the under-pass crashing down, partly burying the pathway access under-pass itself. The side retaining walls of the newly constructed highway road too collapsed on the Chaar Raasta side, partially burying and totally blocking the passage access under the culvert. This under pass pathway is randomly used by school children from Nagarcem side as a shortcut to reach their school at Char-Rasta, besides some of the migrants staying near Chaar-Raasta use the same pathway to answer nature's call on Nagarcem side. This under-pass culvert was in use after demand of the locals to retain the age old traditional pathway/free movement access on either sides, most importantly for conducting religious rituals. One of the residents called up CMC chairperson Chaya Komarpant, who in turn informed the Police, Fire services and Taluka Disaster Management Authority in Dy Collector Office. The same resident, an advocate by profession, also informed the SDM about the incident. While, the police and fire personnel swiftly reached the site and were still trying to ascertain the extent of damage to the under-construction road crisscrossing the existing NH-66 (previous NH-17) road diagonally, a crack suddenly began to appear and kept widening to the left side-wall (retaining) connected to the over-bridge (over existing NH-66) also on Chaar Raasta side. The police team led by Canacona PI Rajendra Prabhudesai, Canacona Mamlatdar Ramesh Gaonkar, besides fire services personnel who were amongst the first to reach the site, immediately stopped movement of traffic on the highway. Interestingly, the retaining wall has already snapped from the over-bridge and mud/pebbles falling off through the constantly widening gap on the wall. The traffic was immediately stopped on the highway and diverted via the narrow Ponsulem Road from Chaudi and Chaar Raasta junction road. While the precarious situation was developing, a few workmen apparently unmindful of the serious development, were seen engaged in their works on under-construction road above, with some taking measurements coming close to the retaining wall where a wide crack has developed and fears looms large of its imminent collapse.
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Residents cry foul, say quality
of work executed sub-standard
CANACONA: Residents complained of sub-standard quality of work for the collapse of retaining walls, even though the rains have just set in. Residents publicly complained of no proper care being taken while executing the sensitive works of the ongoing construction of 4-Lane NH-66 road.
"While filling up the earth on elevated road, rollers were used to press mud after every levels without actually using water. Using of water would have helped strengthen earth-filling of an elevated road," residents were heard complaining.
When confronted, Contractor's (MV Rao) General Manager Ashok Yadav who was personally present alongside various authorities, refuted claims of sub-standard works and lack of curing, saying, "we have followed same norms and standards requisite for such works and executed all over the country. We have used water regularly for curing while levelling the earth on this road, and if anyone wants proof I can show bills paid by us to the water-supply contractor."
When asked why the retaining walls collapsed and cracks developed at the stroke of the first rains of the monsoon, Yadav informed that due to constant rainfall throughout Thursday night, some unforseen pressure may have led to collapse of retaining railings /walls.
About three months ago, following complaints of cracks in girders in Galgibaga area, Canacona MLA along with local PWD officials inspected the girders, and suspecting the works were not in keeping with standards sought an undertaking from the consultancy officials that no untoward incident will happen due to substandard works on 4-lane Road.
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Weight of boulders dumped on road
cause of the collapse, claims PWD
CANACONA: PWD (Highways) claims the dumping of boulders on the newly constructed road above the under pass the reason for collapse of the retaining walls. The PWD assured that there were no damages to either the over-head bridge or the culvert, where the wing-walls have cracked and collapsed. "The over-head bridge and culvert, and the wing-walls are two different things, so the bridges have suffered no damages," said a PWD official.
PWD (Highways), Canacona Assistant Engineer Laximikant Naik informed that huge dumps of boulders were dumped on the road above, and work was underway since 2-3 days to use these boulders for Slope-Protection on the above 20 metres height of the newly construct road. Amidst the continous rainfall on Thursday night, the weight of about 20-25 trips of Boulders still lying dumped for use caused the load on the new road, thus causing the undue pressure on the Wing-Walls (Retaining Walls of the Culvert bridges (which collapsed on western side) and the Over-bridge (which developed cracks and lay dangerously, before removed)’.
According to Naik, The wing-walls will now be rebuilt right from the foundation by the contractor M/s M V R Infra-Projects Pvt Ltd as the project with a revised costs of 227 Crores (Char-Rasta to Maxem (Loliem)) is in EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) mode with the Design and Drawing, the sole responsibility of the Contractor. The Design Consultant is Dilip Kamat & Associates, Authorized Engineers are S . N. Bhobe & Associates.
When attention was drawn to public complaints that cracks are being noticed in several Girders and retaining walls along the newly constructed road from Maxem to Char-Rasta, Naik informed in the past, at the instance of Canaocna MLA Isidore Fernandes, when the incidents of cracks in Girders when brought to the notice of Design Consultants, the Consultants agreed for further tests and only after confirmation has proceeded further.
Reacting to the demands of Canacona MLA for written assurances’ of no engineering failures, Canacona AE informed the contractor is totally responsible for each and every engineering structure, being constructed. There are altogether 320 Girders on the route, besides the three main bridges at river Talpona, Galgibaga and Mexem Creek. After completion of works, the contractor have to maintain the road netwrok for 4 years, during the period had to take care of every damages at their own costs either to repair or rebuild under EPC mode.
