Project authorities refute substandard material claims; MLA urges probe, flags quality, safety concerns
Baramulla, Jun 25: At least six workers were injured on Thursday when a shuttering collapsed during concreting work on an under-construction Vehicle Overpass (VOP) of Baramulla Bypass project at Cheradari here in North Kashmir.
Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the incident occurred at Chainage 57+735 on the New Bypass alignment at Cheradari when slab concreting was in progress. Following the mishap, the injured workers were rushed to a hospital for treatment. All of them sustained minor injuries and were later discharged after receiving medical care.
Project authorities, however, maintained that reports circulating about the incident were far from reality and clarified that the structure involved was not a completed bridge but an under-construction ‘Vehicle Overpass.’
According to the project management, concreting of the slab was underway when nearby excavated soil suddenly slid during the final finishing stage and struck the staging system, resulting in the collapse of the shuttering.
Project Manager Sangram Singh said there was no loss of life in the incident and that the situation was immediately brought under control. He asserted that all workers at the site were safe and that a detailed technical assessment was being carried out to ascertain the exact extent of structural and material damage.
Singh also rejected allegations regarding the use of substandard construction material. He said the material being used in the project is approved by the concerned ministry and undergoes mandatory laboratory testing before being utilised.
The project authorities added that necessary corrective measures would be implemented after completion of the assessment and investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, MLA Baramulla Javid Hassan Baig has sought a high-level enquiry into the mishap and called for a comprehensive safety audit of all major infrastructure projects being executed across Jammu and Kashmir.
In a communication addressed to the J&K Chief Secretary, Baig said the incident had raised serious concerns regarding quality standards, supervision, safety protocols and execution of large-scale public infrastructure projects.
He stated that any structural failure associated with a major development project warranted a thorough and transparent investigation to identify the actual causes and fix responsibility wherever lapses are found.
The legislator urged the government to initiate an immediate enquiry into the incident and take strict legal and departmental action against any officers, contractors, consultants or agencies found responsible for negligence, violation of engineering standards or compromise in quality.
Baig also demanded an independent safety audit of all major infrastructure projects across the Union Territory, including bridges, roads, tunnels and other public utility structures. He sought scientific verification of construction materials and proposed the constitution of a committee comprising senior technical officers and independent experts to inspect ongoing projects and recommend measures to strengthen safety and quality assurance mechanisms.
“Public safety must remain the foremost priority in all developmental works. The incident should serve as a reminder of the need for strict monitoring and adherence to prescribed engineering standards,” the MLA said. (KNO)
