Notice issued to design consultant after approach road to Uttarakhand bridge caves in
Uttarakhand issued a show-cause notice to the bridge’s design consultant after the approach road collapsed 16 days post-inauguration due to design flaws.
The Uttarakhand government has issued a show-cause notice to the design consultant of the Nanda Ki Chowki bridge following the collapse of its approach road within 16 days of inauguration. The consultant, Design Tech Structural Consultant, has 15 days to explain deficiencies found in the bridge's design during a preliminary probe.
If their response is unsatisfactory, further administrative action will be taken against them, including the possibility of debarring them from the department's empanelment. The probe revealed that heavy scouring and inadequate river training contributed to the damage, as the design consultant failed to provide the mandatory design for river diversion work and neglected proper provisions for river training despite the Tons River's naturally meandering course.
The investigation also noted that the scour depth assessment at the site was incomplete, suggesting that Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Test (ERT) be conducted. In the meantime, the contractor, M/s Himalayan Construction, has had its registration suspended, and the firm has been barred from participating in PWD tender processes until further notice.
Three PWD engineers were also suspended for gross negligence and dereliction of duty. The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mahila Morcha president, Ruchi Bhatt, acknowledged her stake in the company but expressed her acceptance of the inquiry's findings and the resulting actions.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
