The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 10-metre stretch of Sankey Tank retaining wall collapses

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 26, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

10-metre stretch of Sankey Tank retaining wall collapses

Staff Reporter

Officials says the wall fell after a tractor hit it, but regular visitors to the tank allege that it fell because of substandard material used in construction

DOWN WITH A THUD: A portion of the new retaining wall of Sankey Tank that collapsed in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: After a portion of the retaining wall along the Ulsoor Lake collapsed, a 10-metre stretch of the new retaining wall along the Sankey

Tank (towards the tank bund road) has collapsed.

Though the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) officials said the wall fell after a tractor transporting construction material to the other side of the tank hit it, regular visitors to the tank said it was because of substandard material used in the construction.

The BMP, which spent over Rs 4 crores on restoring the tank in the last two years, is re-doing the entire 1,700-metre pathway and the tank bund to increase the water level in the tank from 928.8 metres to 929.9 metres. The earlier tank bund is being widened by 2.5 metres and a new retaining wall is being constructed on the embankment at a cost of Rs. 69 lakhs. When The Hindu visited the tank, it was found that two spans (of 5 metres each) of the new retaining wall had come down. Two more spans were damaged and are tilting towards the lake.

Members of the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by the city unit spokesperson, S. Prakash, alleged that the wall collapsed because of substandard material used for construction. "The entire stretch is unsafe for walkers because the ratio of sand and cement used in the construction are not proportionate," Mr Prakash said.

Demanding that the work be stopped and project officials be placed under suspension, he said the BJP will complain to the Lokayukta, N. Venkatachala, about the "irregularities in the project". "The officials are misusing crores of rupees in the name of restoration. A sample of the debris has also been taken to get its quality tested in a laboratory," he said.

The BMP executive engineer in-charge of the project refused to accept that the wall collapsed because of poor construction. "We have used sand and cement in the ratio of 1:6. The wall was damaged after a tractor hit it and we are removing the damaged portion. The concrete is still fresh because this portion was constructed only last Monday," he said.

The Additional Commissioner (Finance), P.K. Srihari, who is also the Engineer-in-Chief, said he will visit the spot to find out the exact reason for the collapse. "The engineers have told me that a tractor has hit the wall. I will visit the spot and if needed, I will get the sample of the debris tested by our quality control wing," he said. Pointing out that the contractor has not been paid for the work till now, Mr. Srihari said the contractor will have to redo the work.

If the allegation of substandard material is proved, we can initiate action against the contractor and also the officials, he added.

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