Ludhiana: Elevated road without crash barrier, NHAI marks inquiry
Contractor’s ex-staff members write to NHAI higher-ups, an official says median barrier for crash protection was removed from the project design
The ₹756-crore elevated road project from Octroi post to Samrala Chowk is under a cloud as former employees of Feedback Infra Pvt Ltd, which executed the work, have pointed to “irregularities”, highlighting that median barriers for crash protection were not installed on the 13-km corridor despite full payment being released.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has marked an inquiry and asked the project director to submit a report in seven days.
In a letter addressed to NHAI’s senior officials, a group of ex-employees of the firm mentioned, “This is not just a question of missing infrastructure. It is about public safety.” The complainants pointed out that although the road was declared complete and inaugurated, the mandatory safety feature of crash barriers, crucial to prevent accidents on high-speed corridors, are absent or of substandard quality.
The ex-employees also highlighted structural failures in some installed crash barriers, which reportedly collapsed earlier this year. “No remedial action was taken. In fact, gaps in crash barriers at several locations continue to pose a serious risk to commuters,” the complaint notes. A mandatory safety audit has not been conducted before issuing the project’s completion certificate, the whistleblowers claim.
A senior NHAI official, who didn’t wish to be named, said, “We have received the letter. A report was sent to higher officials on Thursday. We have not issued full payment to the contractor.”
In November last year, the contractor had begun nailing 2,500 crash barriers along the 6.5 km stretch from Bharat Nagar Chowk to the Octroi post. Later, an NHAI survey revealed that several crash barriers, critical for the safety of commuters, had weakened, raising concerns over the quality of the construction work. Now, this inspection report too has been sent to the audit team, the official quoted above mentioned.
The official also said that median crash barrier was de-scoped at the beginning of the project, but another NHAI official, who too sought anonymity, said the guidelines of the Indian Road Congress (IRC) call for mandatory installation of the same. Though steel barriers are there, the official said proper median barriers for crash protection have to be there under the guidelines.
NHAI regional officer Vipnesh Sharma said, “I have marked an inquiry and asked the official concerned to submit a report in this regard.” When asked why the project design didn’t include median crash barriers, he said the design was approved by the headquarters.
Apart from safety issues, the contractor’s ex-employees also drew attention to the pending salaries of nearly 20 employees since November and December 2023. “While dues remain unpaid, payments to contractors even for substandard work have been processed without delay,” they mentioned.
