Delhi CM Atishi orders probe into faulty Nand Nagri bridges

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has directed the Chief Secretary (CS) to conduct an enquiry into the faulty execution and maintenance of the Nand Nagri Railway Over Bridge and Railway Underbridge, which were built between 2011 and 2015.

Atishi has expressed her strong displeasure over the findings that these bridges, initially expected to last for 70 years, developed major cracks within months of completion.

"I fail to understand if such huge discrepancies existed as pointed in the report, then why no action was taken against the contractor and the erring officials. It is shocking to note that while the normal life of a flyover is more than 70 years, these bridges started developing cracks within just 2-3 months of its completion. This is a clear indication that there was rampant corruption in the execution of the project," Atishi said in a statement.

She has instructed the Chief Secretary to conduct an enquiry against all the officers involved in framing of the tender, awarding work contract and supervising execution of the work in 2011-15.

She also instructed the CS to conduct an enquiry against the third party agency that conducted the quality control work after the completion of the project.

Atishi asked the CS to take the strongest possible action against all the officers and contractors who were responsible for the gross negligence in the execution and maintenance of the project.

Meanwhile, a status report submitted to CM Atishi revealed that significant structural issues were identified soon after the project's completion.

According to the report, the critical panel of the carriageway connecting Nand Nagri to Durgapuri showed signs of distress during initial construction itself.

In 2019, a consultancy firm hired to investigate the matter recommended halting heavy vehicle movement on the bridge and replacing the deck slab entirely due to the defective construction, says the statement.

CM Atishi said that the bridges, which cost nearly Rs 100 crore, not only caused a grave loss to the public exchequer but also endangered public lives.