NEW DELHI: In a first, the road transport ministry has invoked the newly introduced provision on “catastrophic” failure against three highway developers, signalling a tougher crackdown on contractors and concessionaires responsible for poor construction quality and major structural failures on National Highway projects.The provision of “catastrophic event” allows highway owning agencies to bar the highway developers for two years from bidding for new projects. Such highway builders also face negative ratings that will adversely impact their chances of getting future projects.TOI has learnt that the road transport ministry recently notified a “catastrophic event” in the case of widening and strengthening of a 45-km stretch of NH-727B in Uttar Pradesh after an accident during construction claimed two lives and left one with grievous injury in March. The joint venture of VRC Constructions and R&C Infra Engineers has challenged this in the Delhi High Court, and the matter is pending before it.In the second case, the ministry has notified this penal provision in the contract following a 2-meter settlement of pavement, failure of reinforced earth wall foundation, displacement and tilting of wall blocks and cracking of adjoining ground of a portion of the Poondiyankuppam-Sattanathapuram section of NH-45A in Tamil Nadu.
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The concessionaire Poondiyankuppam-Sattanathapuram Section Pvt Ltd (of Oriental) has reportedly moved the court as well.In the third case, a show cause notice for “catastrophic event” has been issued to JV of Wagad Infra Project and Sorathia Velji Ratna for collapse of a reinforced earth wall at Shahpura on Jabalpur-Hiran river section of NH-12 in Madhya Pradesh.A catastrophic event in a highway project refers to major failures such as the collapse of bridges, flyovers or tunnels; severe pavement or embankment damage forcing traffic closure; concrete pavement failure beyond prescribed limits; or construction equipment collapse resulting in loss of life. Under the new framework, such failures can attract penalties in the performance ratings of contractors and concessionaires.
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