PWD drags feet on Ghoghripur rail overbridge

September 11, 2014

Tribune News Service

Karnal, July 26

The Gogripur rail overbridge project has become a distant dream for residents of 25 villages who cross the railway line every day. Aimed at easing traffic woes, the project to construct a railway overbridge on the Karnal-Munak road began in 2013 at a cost of Rs 26 crore. It was to be completed till 2015.

Sources associated with the project said the project was a joint venture of the Railways and the PWD. The Railways were to build their part of the bridge over the track, while the PWD had to build it on both sides of the track, as per the terms and conditions.

The Railways, it is learnt, is about to complete its part, but the PWD is yet to finalise tenders for constructing its portion of the project.

Commuters using this route are forced to travel a longer distance to reach their destination. Ramesh Pal of Staundi village who works in Karnal said he used this route every day. “I waste both time and money traversing the longer distance due to delay in the project.” Rohit Kumar, a college student, said he had to leave home early to reach in time.

“The PWD has called for the tenders and soon the construction company will be finalised. I hope the construction work of the bridge will be completed on the scheduled time,” said Virender Jakhar, Exen, PWD.

In limbo

* The project to build a rail overbridge on the Karnal-Munak road began in 2013 to ease traffic woes

* Scheduled to be completed by 2015, the project will benefit residents of 25 surrounding villages

* While the Railways is about to complete its part of the project, the PWD is yet to finalise tenders for its share of the project

Source-http://www.tribuneindia.com/

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Roads & Bridges

PWD probe grants clean chit to Kumarhatti-Nahan road project

December 18, 2013

Shalender Kalra, Hindustan Times | Nahan,

After a probe into the alleged irregularities in the widening of the Kumar Hatti-Nahan road project, the quality and design wing of the Public Works Department (PWD) has reportedly given it a clean cheat.
During his visit to Sarhan on September 17, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh had ordered PWD superintendent of engineer (SE) to conduct a probe into the 75-kilometre-long World Bank-aided project, which is expected to come up at the cost of Rs. 142 crore.

Sources placed with the PWD said following the CM’s order a team headed by the SE (quality and design) inspected the road and collected samples of the materials used.

However, when the reports of the samples were found satisfactory, said sources, the probing team gave their clearance to the project.

The probe report further stated that the work was carried out as per the parameters set by the detailed project report (DPR).

When asked, PWD SE (quality and design) BB Bhardwaj confirmed that the quality of the construction was found satisfactory, adding that the collected samples also passed the lab test.

He further said the construction of the road was in progress according to the DPR.

However, RIDC official Naresh Sharma said it was just rumour that the work was not being done properly and the norms were violated.

Arguably, the project entails an environmental cost – as many as 11,606 trees were laid down for the widening of the road.

In all, 33 months have been granted to Delhi-based Som Dutt Builders to finish the project, which was over in July 2012. The Road Infrastructure Development Corporation (RIDC), the executive agency of the project, has fixed a fresh deadline of March31st, 2014 for the completion of the project.

The issue of the shortcomings in the widening of the road was also raised in the Himachal Assembly a few months back. Now the road has been declared fit for plying the traffic within the speed limit of 40-45 km per hour.

The villagers had also raised their objection to narrow turns of the road.

Source-http://www.hindustantimes.com/

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Legal

Rs. 1,000 cr. to repair rain-damaged roads in Karnataka

October 24, 2013

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The Hindu : Shimoga – Mandagadde road was blocked due to Tunga flood. File Photo: Vaidya

Public Works Department to take up work next month

The Public Works Department (PWD) will spend Rs. 1,000 crore to repair rain-damaged State highways and major district roads in the State.

Road repairs will be taken up from next month, Public Works Minister H.C. Mahadevappa told presspersons in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Action plan

He said that officials are preparing an action plan and they will submit it to the Finance Department for release of funds. About 1,000 km of main district roads and 177 km of State highways have suffered damage, he said.

The Minister said that road repair work would be completed by the end of February next year. The department had taken up repair work on 3,000 km of State highways in the first phase and work was nearing completion. Roads were damaged on account of heavy rain during the monsoon.

To a question, the Minister said that the government had cleared arrears of Rs. 250 crore owing to road and building contractors and another Rs. 850 crore would be paid soon.

Workshop

The Indian Road Congress and the Public Works Department have decided to hold a two-day regional workshop on promoting usage of new technologies, material, techniques and equipment in road construction, here from Wednesday.

The workshop will be held at Palace Grounds (Gayatri Vihar) and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Oscar Fernandes will release a souvenir. Mr. Mahadevappa will preside over the event. President of Indian Roads Congress Kandasamy and Secretary-General Vishu Shankar Prasad will participate.

Experts will shed light on evolving technologies in the construction of roads and bridges. Engineers and experts will deliver lectures on ‘Retro-reflective material for road safety signage’ and ‘Processed steel slag as alternate aggregate for flexible pavements’ and other related issues.

Daniel Berger, Director, Quality, Research and Development, Orafol Europe GmbH, Ireland, and other experts had been invited to the workshop, Mr. Mahadevappa said.

There would be an exhibition on the usage of manufacturing and slag sand in civil construction, application of new technologies, material, techniques and equipment and application of nanotechnology in civil constructions, he added.

Source-http://www.thehindu.com

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Uncategorized

PWD to spend Rs 1,000 crore to repair roads

October 23, 2013

By Express News Service – BANGALORE

The Public Works Department will spend `1,000 crore to repair highway networks, including district roads, damaged due to heavy rains.

Public Works Minister H C Mahadevappa told reporters here on Tuesday that the department officials are preparing an action plan in this regard. Later, it will be submitted to the Finance Department for release of funds, he added.

About 1,000 km of main district roads and 177 km of State Highway (SH) were damaged badly, the minister said adding the work of repair would be taken up on war footing and would be completed by the end of February.

He said the department has already taken up repair of over 3,000 km stretch of SH in phase I, which is in final stage of completion.

“The phase II will be taken up based on the availability of funds,” he added.

To a question, the minister said the government has cleared an arrears of `250 crore to contractors and another `850 crore yet to be paid.

“The government will take steps to see that all the arrears due to the contractors will be paid soon,” he said.

The Indian Road Congress and PWD are jointly organising a two-day workshop on promoting usage of new technologies, materials, techniques and equipments in road construction here from Wednesday.

Renowned engineers and experts will deliver lectures on the occasion.

Director, Quality, Research and Development, M/s Orafol Europe GmbH, Ireland, Daniel Berger, director Param Preet Singh and DGM Avantech Engineering Consortium, New Delhi, Vikant Raina will also take part in the event, he said.

An exhibition will also be organised on the occasion, he said.

Source-http://newindianexpress.com

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Municipal Corporation

DF govt to spend Rs 3000 cr on road to power

March 3, 2008

Though its four-year rule in Maharashtra is yet to bring a visible change in the state, the Democratic Front (DF) government now wishes to make amends during its final year in office.

For the 2008-09 fiscal, the state will witness large-scale road construction works, senior officials of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and Public Works Department (PWD) told ET. The two agencies, which have been keeping a low-profile during the DF rule, compared to the 1995-1999 Shiv Sena-BJP government’s period, want to make up for the lost time. “We will have many more projects to showcase before the people,” Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had said earlier.

Road works amounting to more than Rs 3,000 crore have been initiated by these two agencies across the state. All projects are being undertaken on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis and the state agencies are collaborating with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Such is the project’s volume that the PWD, MSRDC and NHAI would upgrade around 900 km of roads across Maharashtra.

“Most of the roads under construction would be completed in a year or so. We are following a strategy of aggressive development in the road sector, which is one of the main drivers of socio-economic growth. Roads not only connect but also bring investment,” PWD secretary DB Deshpande told ET.

The state is using the Rs 2,000-crore grant sanctioned by the Union government to upgrade the corridors of national highways, which pass through Maharashtra. This allocation has to be used in the 2008-2009 fiscal. The work includes six-laning of the 90-km corridor between Dahisar-Talasari on Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, the 275-km corridor between Satara-Karad-Kagal, which leads to Bangalore, the 86-km stretch between Igatpuri and Pimpalgaon and construction of an elevated 5.5 km long corridor bypassing the Nashik city.

“Maharashtra has always been regarded as the leading state as far as quality of road is concerned. But good roads have utility beyond the obvious connectivity point of view. The World Bank has estimated that an investment of Rs 20 lakh in road works creates one perpetual job.

We are looking at employment generation and economic potential of roads, which would be give an edge to Maharashtra in these industrially competitive times,” an MSRDC official said. Lot of action is also visible on the state highways. The PWD has got Cabinet approval for the Rs 800-crore four-laning of Shirur-Nagar-Pune-Aurangabad state highway, which is 300-km long. “Work has started on this project and should be completed by May 2009,” Mr Deshpande added.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Investment and Finance, Power