Dear Sir, with Vast Network of Deep & Wide Perennial Rivers, Cities Situated
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Dear Sir, With vast network of deep & wide perennial rivers, cities situated on river banks & densely populated masses; construction of bridge infrastructure is the need of the hour. But on the front of design & durability, it can be gauged by the fact that bridges in India are designed to withstand 50 floods whereas it is 150 in the developed countries. In India, the aging period of bridges is 30 to 40 years. But there are prominent bridges more than 100 years old and had been constructed during the British era. As the bridges and the expressways they span keep rising, construction has become an end unto itself. Fueled by government-backed loans and urged on by the big construction companies and officials who profit from them, many of the projects are piling up debt and breeding corruption while producing questionable transportation benefits. As a developing nation, rapid development of transport infrastructure is happening in India like some other developing countries. The eye-popping structures have slashed travel times in some areas, made business easier and generated a sizable slice of the country’s economy, laying a foundation, in theory at least, for decades of future growth. But as an Engineer my concern is about development/ construction of robust & durable transport infrastructures .The shortsightedness of development policies are gnawing at the foundations of bridges in the country. Selection of construction agencies is more of the client’s requirement but where its implementation is concerned, where supervision & quality assurance is concerned, our role is important and crucial one. There are innumerable shortcomings on supervision & quality assurance’s fronts but one that relates to the selections & policy frameworks & which from my core of my heart I want that Authorities should act on it as follows: One of the factors for poor inspection standards is the age of Supervision Engineer. Maximum age limit for supervision & quality assurance Engineer (Independent Engineer or Authority’s Engineer) is 65 years which is dangerously leading to lagging in supervision & quality assurance of the project work. For supervision & quality assurance work, it is required to have experience, expertise, qualifications focus, passion, innovation, involvement, excellence, stamina, integrity, zeal & enthusiasms etc.The supervision & inspection Engineer shall discharge its duties in a fair, impartial and efficient manner, consistent with the highest standards of professional integrity and Good Industry Practice. In last 15 years, rapid infrastructure development has taken place & hence there is no dearth of middle age (15 years+) Engineers possessing above experiences to be posted at project sites & having career prospects to do innovation work as well. Retired Govt. Engineers (between 60-65 years) by and large do not posses experience, expertise, focus, passion, innovation, stamina, zeal & enthusiasms etc. which is renderings non durable & inefficient transport/ bridge infrastructures. Hence they should not be recruited / mobilized at project sites. Specialists/experts can be taken as advisors. There is no integrity anywhere even after signing Integrity Pact by Contractor, Client & Consultant. Ministry & Client has introduced multiple level consultants such as Design Consultant, Proof Consultant, Safely Consultant, External Auditor, and Supervision Consultant. But what is happening that all are sitting under one table & simply stamping is done. Apart from the flawed design, compromise in quality of materials and even lapses on the implementing authority’s part is a regular feature here. Even highway professor/personnel are signing bridge design & drawing. Construction drawings are different from AS- Built drawing. Specifications, codes, clauses, systems, procedures are there in plenty. But it is this lack of integrity, expertise, professionalism, focus, passion, innovation, involvement, excellence, strong willed etc. which has killed everything everywhere. This MANAGING business has killed quality, durability factors of infrastructure (specifically Transport Infrastructures) in the country. We are only after obtaining degrees for our stomach & prestige. So who is to blame in particular & who will come forward to do the value addition? Only turnover and number of projects running on loans have not much significance. Consultants are increasingly being appointed on the basis of lowest fees. They are treated like contractors and are required to pay earnest money. Do clients ever dare follow such an approach while selecting a lawyer, a surgeon or a chartered accountant? We have through IBMS (Indian Bridge Management System) National Bridge Inventory which gives the condition of bridges in India. National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) just in line with America which came into being on 1971 & enacted by legislation is needed in India at earliest. Its implementation must be ensured by MoRTH or NHAI. In response to flyover collapse in Kolkatta & catastrophe at other places,a highway act should be added, which should prompt to develop & establish National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) & National Bridge Inspector (NBI) for post construction & National Bridge/ Structure supervision standards ( NBSS) during construction. Let us not lose sight of the fact that we are way behind China. Today we have the biggest mountain of debt in the history of the world and we can’t even afford to repair what we already have. In Bihar, on river Ganges alone some 6 nos. bridges are there & dozen bridges are coming up. Almost dozen bridges are there on other rivers. Looking into the supervision & construction standards, how much durability can be expected? Can we expect the durability of more than 150 years old Koilwar Bridge on Sone river or 117 years old Nehru Setu on Sone river in Dehri- on - Sone. Bridges built by British are still sound & under operations & bridges built by us are falling down & we are amending codes after codes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has made a pledge to improve India's decaying urban infrastructure through foreign direct investment. The construction industry is the primary beneficiary and - like in many countries - represents one of the most corrupt sectors. Calls for more transparency in campaign contributions are loud and frequent. However, a better place to start would be transparency in the bidding and contract awarding process, including publication of information about not only contractors' qualifications but also their government connections. This practice could expose conflicts of interest and significant failures of accountability. India suffers from what a government committee in 2011 called a "massive infrastructure deficit in the urban sector". Even if overpasses stand firm, airports sparkle and metro systems hum on schedule, how long will they last? What is the life cycle of India's new urban infrastructure, and what has been secretly compromised in construction and planning processes? Are India's leaders and contractors "building to last"? Our roads, bridges and rail are outdated and need to be fixed. Bihar is having maximum nos. of mega bridges. Can we expect that these bridges will exist in year 2100 & afterwards? Is India Building Bridges to Ruin? I.N.Mishra Resident Engineer cum Bridge/Structures specialist, Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Patna Mobile: 9546033133 .