IMPHAL, January 5: The All Zeliangrong Students`™ Union, Manipur which sent a team to inspect some of the sites of the railway project in the State has discovered that quality is not being maintained in the construction of railway tunnels from Tupul to Jiribam. This was alleged by AZSU president Pamei Tingenlung.
A team of All Zeliagrong Students Union (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland) along with members of Zeliangrong Students Union, Manipur inspected the construction sites of railways tunnels and bridges from Jiribam to Tupul from December 26 to 30 last year.
The team found irregularities while maintaining quality control in the construction of tunnels and bridges, said Pamei Tingenlung in a press meet at the AZSU office in Namdulong today.
He said the team inspected the sites after AZSU started receiving several request from people to inspect the irregularities of the private companies working in the North Eastern Frontier Railway project in maintaining quality control during the construction of the tunnels and bridges.
He has asked the concerned authorities of the Railways project to dismantle these completed works for not maintaining quality control by using proportionate amount of sand and irons bar as per NEFR norms and not heeding to its recommendation of using only the finest sand and materials in construction.
Those companies which have not maintained quality control must dismantle their works within 10 days and if any of the companies don`™t comply with that, AZSU and ZSUM will impose a ban on their construction works in the future, he said.
A full detail report on the irregularities in maintaining quality control by these private firms will be sent to the Union Ministry of Railways, Pamei informed.
He said the team also inspected the construction site of the world`™s highest bridges, Bridge No.1164, which is constructed between Lukhambi and Nungtek. The Simplex Company is constructing the bridge but unfortunately it was found using inferior raw materials for the construction of the world`™s highest bridge, he added.
Highlighting that other companies were also found to be using low-quality sand in the construction of tunnels and bridges when the team inspection other sites, he informed that the Onycon engaged in the construction of Tunnel Point 27 at Marangjing area and Tunnel Point 21 at Rangkhung, Sushee engaged in construction of Tunnel Points 19, 1 and 2, ECI engaged in the construction of Tunnel Point-2A at the Thingou area and NAYAK which is constructing bridges and retaining walls at Noney areas were some of the companies not maintain quality control.
Pamei said a proper inspection of the construction sites is needed because after the completion of the National Railways project the companies will leave but the dangers of not maintaining quality control during the construction will remain. The victims will be Manipuris, he cautioned.
The North Eastern Frontier Railways officials are reportedly inspecting the construction sites regularly but our findings have revealed that officials are inspecting the sites only for namesake, he alleged.
Meanwhile, the state government is not taking any initiative on the construction of the Railways project and because of this negligence; the target set by the government for its completion can`™t be achieved. The team which asked officials of the NEFR whether it was possible for the completion of project within 2020 received a negative response, the AZSU president said.
He also said that both the students union will continue monitoring the construction because the construction companies feel that the state of Manipur doesn`™t have any monitoring officials that can conduct random checks on whether they were maintaining quality control or not.