NBCC to appoint third-party agency to audit quality of GPRA projects

The selected agency will inspect structural quality, workmanship, material testing and compliance with prescribed standards

The NBCC (India) has initiated the process to appoint an independent third-party quality monitoring agency to check the construction quality and allied works at two key general pool residential accommodation (GPRA) redevelopment projects in south Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar and Netaji Nagar as the projects near completion.

An aerial view of newly constructed general pool residential accommodation (GPRA) in Sarojini Nagar, New Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

According to officials, the agency will undertake third-party quality control and quality assurance of civil, electrical, mechanical and other allied works at Sarojini Nagar packages 2 and 11, and Netaji Nagar packages 1, 3A, 3B and 5.

“The move is aimed at independently assessing the quality of construction before large-scale occupation begins in the redeveloped government housing colonies. The selected agency will inspect structural quality, workmanship, material testing and compliance with prescribed standards,” said an official.

NBCC has restricted eligibility to premier technical and quality institutions such as IITs, NITs, the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM), and the Quality Council of India (QCI).

The agency will deploy engineers and technical personnel at the sites for inspections and testing. Officials said the monitoring team will include civil and MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineers with experience in quality control and material testing, along with senior technical experts.

The project is part of the Centre’s broader plan to redevelop ageing government housing colonies in Delhi under a self-financing model. The scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2016, following which NBCC was assigned the redevelopment of Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar and Nauroji Nagar.

The Netaji Nagar redevelopment project is spread over 110 acres and is being executed in seven packages. Construction work is currently underway across all phases of the project.

The redevelopment projects aim to significantly increase the availability of government housing in Delhi through higher floor area ratio (FAR) provisions under the Master Plan for Delhi 2021.

Officials said the colonies have been designed with green building features and upgraded urban infrastructure. The developments include sewage treatment plants, dual plumbing systems for reuse of treated water, rainwater harvesting systems and zero-discharge concepts. Road and drainage infrastructure is also being upgraded across the colonies.

NBCC officials said the third-party quality assessment is intended to ensure that all works comply with prescribed engineering and safety standards before handover and occupancy.

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