Earthen plug on flyover hole gives way

Slipshod repair work by NHAI contractor irks locals

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

DIMORIA, June 12: The tiol Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is in the eye of a storm, as earth dumped to fill the huge hole that had developed on a flyover along tiol Highway 37 at 8th Mile (near Ganesh Mandir) on June 9 last, caved in again today, posing a risk to commuters.

As many as 40 passengers of a night super bus coming from upper Assam had a close shave on Tuesday last as a front wheel of the bus nearly got trapped in the yawning hole.  The hole on the flyover, measured about three-and half feet in diameter. 

The East West Corridor from Khapara to Sopur, a project of the NHAI, is being carried out by MBL Infrastructures Limited.

The firm, locals said, dumped truckloads of earth into the hole as part of the repair. No measures were taken to use concrete and black-top it.

Heavy rains resulted in caving in of the earth again today. The company dumped more earth filling in the hole today, eye-witnesses said.

Locals alleged that technical faults in the flyover’s design, along with poor execution, was the cause for the hole developing.   They demanded that everybody associated with construction of the flyover be brought under a probe.

Locals further alleged that today’s incident showed the utterly slipshod manner companies roped in by the NHAI were executing the all-important road project.

The NHAI has also drawn flak after a portion of an RCC bridge over the river Digaru near Sopur on the city outskirts had collapsed on May 6 last.