Team Goemkarponn
MORMUGAO: Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar on Wednesday said he will file an FIR against the contractor engaged in the landslide restoration works, after a portion of the work collapsed amidst heavy rains.
Amonkar was speaking to reporters following a joint site inspection at the ongoing restoration site, which was attended by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials, representatives of the contractor company, engineers, and Mormugao Police Inspector Sherif Jacques.
“The contractor has removed a certain portion and is working on it again for better results. However, these additional works must be completed at the contractor’s own cost, and no extra public funds will be spent,” said Amonkar.
He added, “I have clearly warned that blacklisting will follow if substandard works are repeated. This project is funded by public money and we will not allow poor-quality works. The contractor, team leader, engineers, designers and NHAI officials were all called in after the incident. Being the local MLA, I may have to take responsibility, and I will personally supervise the works. The contractor may give technical reasons, but people need to know the facts to erase any doubts. I have also asked police to set up an enquiry and register an FIR to ascertain the exact cause.”
Amonkar stressed that the works were entrusted under the supervision of IIT-Guwahati. “I don’t have any sympathy when it comes to developmental works carried out through public funds. I will not hesitate to blacklist the company if I have even the slightest doubt about the quality,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the contractor maintained that the issue was restricted to a 10-metre portion of a 100-metre stretch due to excessive rains.
“Out of the 100-metre stretch, only about 10 metres developed issues after water seeped in with pressure from the top due to torrential rains. The rest of the work is intact, with anchors and slope stabilisation completed. This is an early warning sign and falls under the five-year defect liability period, so we will rectify the issue at our own cost without any extra expenses,” the contractor said.
He added, “Had we finished reaching the top portion and laid the concrete layer, nothing would have happened. The problem arose because water from the incessant rains entered from the top, causing seepage and bulging in that 10-metre section. It was an unfortunate incident, but we are investigating the issue and mitigating the risks.”
