PWD issues notice to L&T, seeks repair work in Pragati Maidan tunnel project
The Pragati Maidan complex and an integrated transit corridor were developed along with the Bharat Mandapam centre.
The Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) has issued a show cause notice to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and asked the company to deposit a “minimum token amount of ₹500 crores” besides initiating the repair work and rectification of the technical and design deficiencies in Pragati Maidan tunnel project.
The notice said the company failed to complete the construction of underpass number five near Bhairon Marg under the railway tracks within the stipulated period. The PWD, which has asked the company to respond to the notice dated February 3 within 15 days, sought a response to why action should not be initiated against the company for the financial and reputational losses. It added the damages have been caused due to the inability to complete the project specifically the tunnel under the railway tracks.
The Pragati Maidan complex and an integrated transit corridor were developed along with the Bharat Mandapam convention centre ahead of the G-20 summit last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the main 1.3 km long tunnel and five underpasses in its vicinity in June 2022.
Underpass number five is part of the Pragati Maidan integrated transit corridor. It was meant to have opened in December 2022 but there have been multiple delays, engineering challenges, and damage due to floods.
The PWD notice said that tenders for the project were floated in 2017 and the agreed date of completion was 2019. The project was completed and inaugurated in 2022. “...these concessions in the timeline were provided to the company subject to the understanding that the quality of the construction work would not be compromised,” the notice said.
It cited glaring infirmities and said they were not only technical but also related to design flaws. “The most glaring as well as alarming issue was the accumulation of water across various locations in the underpasses,” the PWD said.
The PWD added the company agreed to the construction with a design life of 100 years or more. It added the condition of tunnel/underpass and other quality parameters cannot be resolved without major revamping and maintenance overhaul of the entire project.
The PWD has identified 12 issues including continuous leakage, cracks in concrete, water logging, malfunctioning of drainage systems, non-uniformity of kerbstones, etc.
The project was developed at the cost of ₹777 crore with the 1.3-km long tunnel at the centre of the integrated corridor and its associated underpasses aimed at making Bhairon Marg, Ring Road, and Mathura Road signal free.
A L&T spokesperson called PWD, Delhi, an esteemed client and added they value their long years of association. “However, L&T would like to state that a counter-claim of ₹500 crore has been made by the company against PWD, Delhi."
