Flyover collapse: Yogi directs harsh action against officials

Scene of tragedy: At least 15 persons were killed in the flyover collapse in Varanasi on May 15.

Scene of tragedy: At least 15 persons were killed in the flyover collapse in Varanasi on May 15.   | Photo Credit: File photo

Preliminary probe report lists irregularities in construction work

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed “harsh punitive action” against seven officials after a preliminary probe observed several flaws in the construction work of the Varanasi flyover, a portion of which collapsed on Tuesday killing at least 15 persons.

Over a dozen people were injured and at least seven vehicles, including a mini-bus and a tempo, were crushed when a girder of the Lehartara-Chauka Ghat flyover crashed during peak traffic hours.

Action against ex-MD

The three-member probe team of senior officials led by Commissioner of Agriculture Production Raj Pratap Singh noted several “irregularities” in the construction work of the flyover. The Chief Minister has directed action against seven officials, including the managing director of the U.P. State Bridge Corporation, Rajan Mittal, who was removed from his post on Thursday.

“Appropriate” action has also been directed against chief project manager H.C. Tiwari, former project manager Gendalal, project manager K.R. Sudan, assistant project manager Rajendra Singh and junior project managers Lal Chand and Rajesh Pal.

State Public Works Department Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has appointed J.K. Srivastava as the new MD of UPSBC. Mr. Maurya had already suspended four officials, including Mr. Sudan and Mr. Tiwari, hours after the incident, holding them “prima facie” responsible.

According to Awanish Awasthi, principal secretary, information, the preliminary probe report found at least six irregularities in the construction of the flyover. The report noted that not only were “the drawings used in the construction not approved by a competent authority”, the “support beams put in between the columns were also not tied to the cross beams”.

No records

The construction unit “did not maintain the record” of the batch mix plant which has made it tough to ascertain if cement, sand and stones used to construct the support beams were mixed in the right proportion as per laid-down standards. It is also not clear if they were being checked from time to time by competent authorities.

The report notes that the construction unit did not have a checklist of the concrete mixture used at the site, nor did inspecting officers record their comments after the inspection.