Two Gurugram underpasses lost roof covers during dust storm

GURUGRAM: The engineer of the Rajiv Chowk underpass project has submitted a report to NHAI after strong winds blew off six polycarbonate rooftop sheets of the underpass on Friday. A few roof sheets of the Hero Honda Chowk underpass were also uprooted. The repair work at Rajiv Chowk is complete.
Bloom Consultants, engineer for the Rajiv Chowk underpass project, has submitted a two-page report on the matter. “No damages were observed at Iffco Chowk and Signature Tower. But some polycarbonate sheets of the underpass canopy at Rajiv Chowk were uprooted. The design and material used is the same for canopies at all three junctions (Rajiv Chowk, Iffco Chowk and Signature Tower),” it said. The report added that the wind intensity was much higher at Rajiv Chowk than at other areas and the sheets were uprooted due to wind pressure.

The Rajiv Chowk underpass was thrown open to the public on January. Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI, Gurugram, said, “We had asked for a report on probable reasons for the displacement of the sheets from the engineer. At this stage, we can’t comment on the quality or workmanship of the contractor.” Saurabh Singhal, traffic transportation expert, Bloom Consultants, said, “There was no damage to properties or vehicles. We immediately removed the sheets from the site. The repair work was completed in a few hours.”

However, commuters questioned the role of the authorities concerned. Amrita Raj Singh, a resident of Sohna Road, said, “I was present at Rajiv Chowk when the roof boards fell. It was scary as scraps of metal were flying around. The authorities should keep a check on such incidents. Their negligence could have led to a major accident.” Saurabh Kumar, a resident of Sector 10, said, “I had left office and was passing the Rajiv Chowk underpass when one of the roofboards fell on the road. The dust storm was so severe that most cars had stopped but had the cars been moving, someone could have died.”

The Hero Honda Chowk underpass has not been opened for the public. Ravinder Singh Yadav, team leader of Indian Technocrat Limited and NHAI engineer for the project, said, “Those roof sheets were uprooted as they had not been fixed. The repair work is in progress.”