Flyover probe report submitted, CDA starts fencing the area
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, Nov 30: The probe committee, formed by the local administration, has identified negligence, callousness about safety and security measures and technical and engineering fault in
construction, as the main factors for the collapse of the Bahaddarhat Flyover.
The committee, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Chittagong Khaled Mamun Chowdhury, has said that the high-ups of the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) and engineers involved with the project and construction firms, may be held responsible for their lack of whole-time monitoring during the construction works at such a public place.
Besides, the expert committee, headed by RAJUK Chairman Engineer Nurul Huda on its second day of investigation, has continued their probe into quality of the construction work. They visited the flyover site and collected different samples from the debris.
The four-member technical committee was formed by the Ministry of Works to evaluate the compliance aspects including the quality and standard
of the construction work. The committee has been working from Thursday and will stay in Chittagong for two more days for the purpose.
CDA Superintending Engineer Kazi Hasan bin Shams, who was in the area with RAJUK Chairman's enquiry team, said they have collected different kinds of samples from the debris, apart from collecting the designs,
drafts, tender documents and other related papers.
Three inquiry committees and a technical committee have been
constituted following the collapse of the under-construction flyover that left as many as 15 persons dead and 50 injured. All the committees, except the one formed by CDA Chairman Abdus Salam, have started investigation. The CDA probe committee, headed by its Chief Engineer Nasir Uddin Mahmud Chowdhury, is yet to start inquiry into the deadly incident.
Meanwhile, the CDA authority has resumed works on the flyover project this morning. An official of the CDA said that the work for fencing the under-construction flyover area has started from the Bahaddarhat Pond side.
He said a good number of workers have been employed to fence the whole area and a contingent of police has been deployed to help keep the local people away. After completion of fencing, the work to replace the risky girders with cross girders will start.
He said the CDA authority has served show cause notice upon the
contracting firms. So they are no more with the work. The CDA engineers including the Chairman himself will monitor the construction work.
As the CDA officials along with workers arrived at the flyover area
for fencing, the people from the surrounding tried to gather but the police did not allow them around.
"The anxious people are still trying to gather around the place but the police have been on a full alert," an executive engineer working in the area said.
Asked if the investigation report has been submitted, ADC Khaled Mamun said the investigation report will be handed over to the Deputy
Commissioner by 8.00 pm today. He said that the committee has prepared the report in four days although it was supposed to submit it in three days' time on Thursday.
"We have finalized it and are going to submit it to the DC in very soon," Mr. Khaled Mamun said.
"We have found that the CDA high-ups, its engineers and contractors did not take proper safety and security measures. There is also lack of compliance with technical and engineering requirements," he said.
CHITTAGONG, Nov 30: The probe committee, formed by the local administration, has identified negligence, callousness about safety and security measures and technical and engineering fault in
construction, as the main factors for the collapse of the Bahaddarhat Flyover.
The committee, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Chittagong Khaled Mamun Chowdhury, has said that the high-ups of the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) and engineers involved with the project and construction firms, may be held responsible for their lack of whole-time monitoring during the construction works at such a public place.
Besides, the expert committee, headed by RAJUK Chairman Engineer Nurul Huda on its second day of investigation, has continued their probe into quality of the construction work. They visited the flyover site and collected different samples from the debris.
The four-member technical committee was formed by the Ministry of Works to evaluate the compliance aspects including the quality and standard
of the construction work. The committee has been working from Thursday and will stay in Chittagong for two more days for the purpose.
CDA Superintending Engineer Kazi Hasan bin Shams, who was in the area with RAJUK Chairman's enquiry team, said they have collected different kinds of samples from the debris, apart from collecting the designs,
drafts, tender documents and other related papers.
Three inquiry committees and a technical committee have been
constituted following the collapse of the under-construction flyover that left as many as 15 persons dead and 50 injured. All the committees, except the one formed by CDA Chairman Abdus Salam, have started investigation. The CDA probe committee, headed by its Chief Engineer Nasir Uddin Mahmud Chowdhury, is yet to start inquiry into the deadly incident.
Meanwhile, the CDA authority has resumed works on the flyover project this morning. An official of the CDA said that the work for fencing the under-construction flyover area has started from the Bahaddarhat Pond side.
He said a good number of workers have been employed to fence the whole area and a contingent of police has been deployed to help keep the local people away. After completion of fencing, the work to replace the risky girders with cross girders will start.
He said the CDA authority has served show cause notice upon the
contracting firms. So they are no more with the work. The CDA engineers including the Chairman himself will monitor the construction work.
As the CDA officials along with workers arrived at the flyover area
for fencing, the people from the surrounding tried to gather but the police did not allow them around.
"The anxious people are still trying to gather around the place but the police have been on a full alert," an executive engineer working in the area said.
Asked if the investigation report has been submitted, ADC Khaled Mamun said the investigation report will be handed over to the Deputy
Commissioner by 8.00 pm today. He said that the committee has prepared the report in four days although it was supposed to submit it in three days' time on Thursday.
"We have finalized it and are going to submit it to the DC in very soon," Mr. Khaled Mamun said.
"We have found that the CDA high-ups, its engineers and contractors did not take proper safety and security measures. There is also lack of compliance with technical and engineering requirements," he said.