PWD submits Pragati Maidan tunnel audit report to Delhi LG

The group was supposed to examine the tunnel physically and submit a report within a month, but this was delayed due to the elections

The Public Works Department (PWD) on Tuesday said it has submitted a comprehensive report regarding the structural audit of the Pragati Maidan tunnel to lieutenant governor VK Saxena, two months after an expert committee was formed to prepare it.

PWD had identified 12 issues, including continuous leakage, large cracks, waterlogging, and malfunctioning of drainage systems, among others. (HT Photo)

In March, an expert group comprising an official from PWD, the Central Public Works Department and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was formed to look into the cracks in the Pragati Maidan tunnel, which was built last year.

The group was supposed to examine the tunnel physically and submit a report within a month, but this was delayed due to the elections, officials said. The committee was formed after PWD found large cracks on the surface of the tunnel after the monsoon last year.

“We have carried out basic repair work and desilting to ensure that there is no waterlogging this year during monsoon,” said a PWD official. Officials did not divulge more details about the report.

Officials said that the repair work included two main tasks — filling the cracks with liquified cement under high pressure and rectifying the slope gradients in the drains. To handle water seepage inside the tunnel, officials used the “injection grouting” method to heal the cracks, where liquid concrete is injected.

HT reached out to the LG office, which did not respond to queries seeking comments.