The construction company Larsen and Toubro has been served with a legal notice by the Delhi government’s PWD for allegedly causing “financial and reputational” losses due to “technical and design deficiencies” in the Pragati Maidan transit corridor and delays in finishing the Bhairon Marg underpass.
During 2023 G20 Summit, the multi-crore Pragati Maidan Tunnel project is now a “potential threat to the life of passengers.” The cause is a combination of poor drainage, big fractures in the cement, and water seepage. The Public Works Department (PWD) is closely monitoring the construction and quality of the six-lane tunnel. It has repeatedly sent notices to the construction company Larsen and Toubro (L&T), which carried out the project, requesting a deposit of Rs 500 crore for “serious technical and design deficiencies.”
Pragati Maidan tunnel details of the damages as per PWD report
As per The Indian Express, PWD claims that although representatives of the construction company were aware of the problems and even went on several site inspections with government officials, they chose not to address them.
Other significant problems consist of:
Prolonged seepage detected and recognized from a few tunnel expansion joints Large fissures in cement and concrete in different locations
Over the tunnel, there is waterlogging and drainage system malfunctions.
Damage and irregularities in a significant quantity of curbstones
Long-term neglected ITPO parking patches in the branch tunnel
missing saucer drains in a few different places
Murals and paintings on the walls are being harmed by water seeping from the tunnel’s ceiling and by mysterious seepage of groundwater beneath the concrete surface.
