BHAJANI, April 4: The blacktop of the roadway being constructed under the Block-A 'smart city' has come off within two weeks at Tikapur Municipality-1 of Kailali district.
The Mahalaxmi MK JV Company had begun blacktopping the road after frequent extensions of contract, but the quality was so poor that the blacktop did not last for more than 15 days, according to a local Nanda Singh BK
BK said, "The construction company's recklessness was witnessed in the very beginning. It can be seen in the worn off pitch now. How substandard the work is!"
Blacktopped road damaged before completion
Another local Hari Chaudhari said if such low quality works continue, the current road would turn into a gravel road within six months. "The authorities concerned must intervene on time and direct the construction company to reconstruct the road maintaining quality and standard," he underscored.
In response to mounting public concern over the road quality, a technical team of federal project implementation unit from the construction department, Dhangadhi conducted a monitoring of the road. Project chief Ramesh Singh informed that they inspected the road following severe concern of the locals. "There was weakness in some places where quality was not maintained," he admitted and shared that the construction company would be directed to reconstruct the road by maintaining quality.
Similarly, Singh informed that the bitumen used for the road was sent for testing at the Kohalpur-based laboratory. It would further divulge the facts, he hoped.
Mayor of Tikapur Municipality, Ramlal Dagaura Tharu, urged the project chief to create an atmosphere that the damaged road would be reconstructed well. If there was a technical hitch, it could be solved, but doing wrong intentionally in construction works would not be spared, he warned.
A 3-km long blacktopped road and drainage are being constructed at the cost of nearly Rs 80 million.
Overseer at the construction company, Jayram Thapa, however, argued that the blacktop in some places did not set well because heavy vehicles were run immediately after blacktopping.
(RSS)
