Action sought against contractor, consultants, engineers
Madikeri: Lashing out at the contractors, project consultants, engineers and PWD officials, Kodagu MLAs K.G. Bopaiah and M.P. Appachu Ranjan have sought an inquiry into the work taken up to construct a retaining wall to protect the Kodagu Deputy Commissioner’s Office from future dangers. They demanded action against those responsible for the present state of affairs of the work for which Rs. 7.5 crore was spent.
The wall is over 140 metres in length and over 40 feet in height. The wall has been built on a steep gradient and now, the slabs of The Reinforced Earth Wall (RE Wall) have dislocated and the entire structure hangs precariously on the Madikeri-Mangaluru Road.
As the slabs are bulging out and are posing a risk of collapse, traffic on the busy road (National Highway 275) has been banned and an alternative road has been provided. Though the wall building technology claimed by the contractor and the PWD engineers as advanced and safe, it has not worked in the district’s weather where it rains for six months a year.
Social media ridicule
Intense criticism on social media followed as the photos and videos of the wall giving way went viral where the integrity of the engineers and contractor was questioned and the elected representatives and Ministers were subjected to ridicule. Amidst all this, the two MLAs visited the spot on Tuesday (July 19) and certified that the works were sub-standard.
Accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Dr. B.C. Satish, the MLAs inspected the retaining wall whose side slabs are bloating and may fall anytime. Continuous seepage of rainwater was cited as the reason for the slabs to dislocate and bulge. The MLAs observed that while it took Rs. 5 crore to construct the DC Office, it took Rs.7.5 crore for the retaining wall to be constructed. More money will be needed to repair it.
They demanded a probe into the retaining wall work, saying that crores of rupees were spent for strengthening the DC Office premises. Ranjan said he was apprehensive about the work from the beginning and was not satisfied with the way it was designed.
Petition Committee
“I had raised the issue many times in meetings but the officials kept on assuring me that advanced technology is being used. I had clearly expressed my doubts about the work and told the engineers that the slabs will not last long seeing the design and the work. I will place the matter before the Petition Committee of the State Legislature, seeking action either against the contractor or the engineers whoever is found responsible after an inquiry,” he said.
Incidentally, Mysuru-based Ayyappa Constructions is undertaking the works and ‘Terrarm’, a New Delhi-based structural engineering company provided the technical specifications, structure and design to build the wall. The MLAs wanted to know whether soil tests were done before the work.
Ranjan said he had suggested building concrete walls but some agency in Delhi came up with the new design and went ahead with the work. “Retaining wall using slabs doesn’t last long as it doesn’t suit Kodagu’s soil. The engineers did not listen to me,” he lamented.
Traditional wall
Explaining the wall construction to the MLAs, PWD Executive Engineer Nagaraj said, “For the construction of a traditional retaining wall, it requires a 7-metre land. The land near the affected area was less and the retaining wall had to be constructed with only 2 metres of available land. Accordingly, the reinforcement technology, suggested by experts was used. The technology has been successful in other parts of the country,” he claimed.
The MLAs said the retaining wall has not been designed considering the rain situation of Kodagu. “The slabs will fall anytime,” he said, taking the engineers to task. He directed them to finish the repair works and open the road for traffic by Friday (July 22).
From the photos of this tall and long slab retaining wall it is difficult to ascertain if proper and adequate weep holes were provided to let the seeping water to flow out. There has to be adequate stone filling behind the retaining wall both to act as filter and distribute the load evenly to the retaining wall. No band aids and shoddy work will help resolve this issue.
Again, the wise words of this genius structural engineer @boregowda, without physically going there and verifying the problems involved.
But, one thing is certain. You can be sure every time that @boregowda, the disciple of that Gowda thug Devegowda, will not disappoint you by showing how he has put both his feet into his mouth!
This person Tane Basavanna, alias Questo, Alias Mann Ki Bhath, alias kawafoxgowda is insane. He is tamil brahmin who stayed in Mysore long time ago, and now lives in remote area of the world (New Zealand) and writes promptly around same time with different names. Insane.
@duplicate basavanna
Interesting that you have problems in spelling words! Must be dyslexic! You need hel, and treatment.
. Brainless cretin like you, should understand, that NZ is invaded by Indians in hundreds of thousands trying to settle. Well, you need to exercise your brain working out the time difference with NZ, Tamil? I know 5 languages., pokkiri gowda!
Well, your leader Devegowda is not impressed at all1
It should be: help
@duplicate basavanna
The list of names you have provided, contain errors! Probably difficulties in comprehension!
Whoever you are, I suggest that you read properly posts before chucking in a few words of nonsense. Be careful, what you say about Tamis and Malayalees, as they are coming in very large numbers to settle in Mysore city. Thanks to your MP Simha’s project of highway connecting Hassan with Kerala through Kodagu,, the expansion of Mysore airport, the high speed trains to Chennai as well as tech companies along the airport corridor, mean the influx of Keralites and Tamils will be massive.
Start learning both Tamil and Malayalam soon, if you want to remain employed!
BTW, the comments such as New Zealand sound silly, if you look at the evidence of large numbers of Indians applying for work visas to settle down there!
So, Indians can go to foreign countries, but should not go to other states in their own country! Good logic.
@P R B
Hey idiot, Indians going to other countries like USA, Canada and even Germany have to speak the language of the country there.
Tamils/Malayalees like you come to Mysore and do not learn Kannada, but speak your own language. Wonderful logic of a demented person.
What a dim witted fool you are!
@P R B
Hey idiot, Indians going to other countries like USA, Canada and even Germany have to speak the language of the country there.
Tamils/Malayalees like you come to Mysore and do not learn Kannada, but speak your own language. Wonderful logic of a demented person.
What a dim witted fool you are!
Hey Balakrishnan
You need to exercise your brain, if you have one, which you seem not have!
Would you talk in Tamil/Malayalam-you must be one of them, in France or Belgium, if you emigrate there?
Australians give hard times for those who do not speak English.
That means the local language. Hence the ‘good logic’ is if you come to Mysore to settle, you need to learn Kannada. That simple.
But you must be an IT techie, who are used to get hammered to write thousand of lines of codes without much brain power.
This Balakrishnan must have gone to USA, on H1B techie visas and busily coding!
It is only in USA, every sentence starts with ‘So’. Indians are not wanted in any country,, hence ‘can go’ words are nonsense. The reason they are employed is that they are made to work all hours . In the USA, these H1B techies are always looking around afraid whether the immigration officials are watching them. If they are not, then it is Home Land Security.
His logic is so weird, typical of some one whose mother tongue is not Kannada!
Hello gentlemen,
Please tell me to which state Urdu, Sanskrit, Bhojpuri etc. belongs ?
There are no gentlemen. One person comment using multiple names. Insane..
Keep calm and don’t feed the Troll.