Opinions

Lose tunnel vision in infra-building



India is in the middle of an infrastructure development boom, and Delhi, as capital city, is understandably one of the top gainers, with new flyovers, roads, foot overbridges and tunnels being added at a brisk pace. But not all projects seem to be going according to plan. The ₹773 crore Pragati Maidan Tunnel project, for instance, connecting central Delhi to east Delhi and NCR, is one such story gone wonky. Readied before the G20 Summit, the 1.3 km-long tunnel is, according to PWD, a ‘potential threat to the life of passengers’ due to poor drainage, cracks in concrete and water seepage. This leaves a bad aftertaste in the ‘G20 wow’.

On February 3, PWD issued a show-cause notice to two government engineers and project executor L&T, saying that ‘fault in design’ and ‘other quality parameter-related issues’ can’t be resolved without a ‘major revamp and maintenance/overhaul of the entire project’. It added that L&T has failed to do repairs. PWD has asked L&T to deposit ₹500 crore, and the firm has reportedly made a counterclaim of ₹500 crore against PWD. In this dizzying blame game, it is Delhiites who will suffer.

Yes, India’s project execution pace and quality have improved over the last few decades. But there is a lesson in this mess-up. Spending massive amounts of taxpayers’ money on infra – India is expected to spend ₹143 lakh crore in FY24-30, double that of FY17-23 – is welcome. But what is essential is investing time and effort to ensure that projects are top-notch and at least last their lifecycle. And responsibilities must be fixed if they are not up to scratch. Most importantly, it is crucial that efforts be made to maintain infrastructure. This isn’t a tough ask in an age when AI, sensors and robotics can augment efforts.

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