Lessons from Muradnagar: Yamuna expressway authority forms teams to inspect projects

GREATER NOIDA: Learning from the Muradnagar incident, where poor quality of construction material led to the roof at a cremation ground to collapse, resulting in

GREATER NOIDA: Learning from the Muradnagar incident, where poor quality of construction material led to the roof at a cremation ground to collapse, resulting in 24 deaths, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) has decided to scrutinise ongoing works and verify the quality of a project before it is opened for public use.

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Two teams, headed by additional chief executive officers (ACEO), will ensure that the projects underway in the Yamuna Expressway region are built with prescribed construction material, said officials, adding that if it is found that rules were flouted then the contractor is to be blacklisted immediately.

Since the Swiss firm – Zurich International AG – has released its schedule for the Noida International Airport at Jewar, in which it says it will start work by mid-2021, the authority has started taking up developmental works around the site. Around 20 projects, including drainage systems, water reservoirs, sewage treatment plants, roads and housing, among other projects, are going on near the airport site.

“To make sure that quality construction materials are used and that all norms are followed, we have formed two teams, each headed by ACEOs. These two teams will conduct frequent inspections at the site to check the quality of materials. Once the project is built, the teams will again conduct inspections and verify quality,” said Arun Vir Singh, CEO of the authority.

In Muradnagar, the contractor allegedly used sub-standard material for the construction of a roof at the crematorium which likely led to the tragedy, the initial report has found. In the Yamuna Expressway area, at least 50 small and big contractors are working on multiple projects.

Apart from this, the authority has decided to take samples of construction material being used in projects to test them at an independent lab such as Shri Ram Institute and Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) in Delhi to verify the quality.

“If the test reports confirm that the quality is not as per norms, we will act against the contractor during the construction stage itself. Besides, if any anomaly is caught at the stage of payment for work to the contractor, then also we will act sternly,” said Singh.