Adverse natural condition coupled with misjudgement by construction agencies led to collapse of an under-construction flyover in Hyderabad on September 9 in which two persons were killed, a report of technical committee, probing into the mishap, has revealed.
The five-member committee, set up by the state government to probe the reasons for collapse of eight segments of the Pujnagutta flyover, on Thursday submitted its report to Municipal Administration Minister Koneru Ranga Rao.
The causes of the unfortunate incident were 'heavy intensity of rains during a short period, erosion of the soil, saturation and settlement and tilting of the concrete bases,' the expert committee said in its report.
The committee held responsible agencies, including Gammon India Limited, Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, for the incident.
The agencies, while executing the prestigious project under critical work conditions, misjudged simple engineering requirements in spite of their varied experience and expertise, the committee opined in the report.
The committee recommended to impose 10 per cent penalty of the total project cost on Gammon India Ltd and it bear all costs of loss to individuals, property of public, private and company and any other claims.
The two other consultant companies must also be penalised 10 per cent of the total agreement amount, it said.
The secondary responsibility lies with Hyderabad Metro Waste Supply and Sewage Board -- the agency involved in digging under the flyover to lay an 800mm pipeline.
The report pointed out that HMWSSB, after digging the trench, failed to restore the ground to its original state in spite of direction from GHMC.
Due to heavy downpour and stagnation of water at the site the compacted soil beneath the trestle concrete bases and along the trench was disturbed and eroded resulting in tilting of the trestle concrete base which destabilised the structural system, the committee said.
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