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.

Uttarakhand government issued a show-cause notice to the design consultant of the Nanda Ki Chowki bridge over the Tons River after its approach road caved in within 16 days of its inauguration, officials said.

The government also suspended three PWD engineers for alleged gross negligence and dereliction of duty. (HT Photo)

The design consultant, Design Tech Structural Consultant, has 15 days to submit an explanation regarding deficiencies found in the bridge’s design during the preliminary probe. If their reply is unsatisfactory, action will be taken against them, they added.

“We issued a notice to the design consultant seeking an explanation for the deficiencies found in the design during the probe. We asked them why the deficiencies were not addressed in the design if they were within the scope of their work. They have 15 days to submit their reply, based on which further action will be taken. If the reply is found unsatisfactory, a decision will be taken on debarring the consultant and removing it from the department’s empanelment,” said Uttarakhand Public Works Department (PWD) engineer-in-chief Rajesh Chandra.

He added that the action against the consultant would be administrative, not legal. He said a preliminary inquiry found that heavy scouring caused the damage to the bridge’s approach road. The inquiry found that the design consultant failed to provide the mandatory design for river diversion work. It also found that adequate provisions for river training were not made, despite the Tons having a naturally meandering course and a cross-slope in its riverbed.

“The investigation also revealed that the scour depth assessment at the site could not be completed. The investigating officer suggested conducting Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Test (ERT) to assess the scour depth. Therefore, pending the assessment, the registration of M/s Himalayan Construction has been suspended with immediate effect. The contractor is also prohibited from participating in the Public Works Department tender process until further orders,” Chandra said.

On July 28, the approach road of the bridge over the Tons River developed a large cavity, 16 days after the bridge was inaugurated on July 12, following heavy rainfall. Continued erosion weakened the supporting area, leading to a large cavity beneath the approach road that eventually caused a portion of it to collapse, officials said.

Uttarakhand government earlier suspended the registration of the contractor that built the bridge - M/s Himalayan Construction, a firm where the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mahila Morcha president Ruchi Bhatt is a stakeholder. Officials said the firm has also been barred from participating in PWD tenders until further orders.

Meanwhile, the government also suspended three PWD engineers for alleged gross negligence and dereliction of duty.

Bhatt acknowledged that she is a shareholder in the company and said she would accept the findings of the inquiry.

“Allegations and counter-allegations are separate. It is true that I am a stakeholder in the company, although it is a very old company. I do not want to shy away from that fact. If any negligence has occurred or there is any problem, an inquiry has already been ordered and its findings are before everyone. Whatever action or punishment is decided will be acceptable to me,” she said.

Bhatt said the government acted promptly in the matter despite her association with the firm.