Questioning the design of the retaining wall of the deputy commissioner’s office on Mangaluru highway, Kodagu MLAs K.G. Bopaiah and Appachu Ranjan on Tuesday sought an inquiry into the work and demanded action against those responsible for the present state of affairs of the work for which ₹9 crore was spent.
Mr. Bopaiah and Mr. Ranjan, along with Deputy Commissioner B.C. Satish, inspected the retaining wall whose side slabs are bloating and may fall anytime. The seepage of rainwater was cited as the reason for the ballooning of the slabs.
Mr. Bopaiah demanded a probe into the retaining wall work, saying that crores of rupees were spent on it for strengthening the DC office premises.
Mr. Ranjan said he was apprehensive about the work from the beginning and was not satisfied with the way it was designed. “I had expressed my doubts on the work and said the slabs will not last long seeing the design and the work. I will place the matter before the petition committee, seeking action either against the contractor or the engineers whoever is found responsible after an inquiry,” he said.
Mr. Ranjan said he had suggested building concrete walls but some agency in Delhi came up with the new design and went ahead with the work. “Retaining wall using slabs doesn’t last long as it doesn’t suit Kodagu’s soil. The engineers did not listen to me,” he lamented.
The MLA said the retaining wall should have been designed considering the rain situation of Kodagu. “The slabs have reached a stage where they would fall anytime.”
Taking the engineers to task, Mr. Ranjan asked, “How can the public use this road when there is a threat of slabs falling any moment.”
He directed the engineers to get the repair work done in two days and throw open the road for the use of the public. “If this is not done, action will be taken,” he warned.
Mr. Bopaiah sought to know whether soil tests were done before the work. The engineers should have taken the suggestions from the engineers who constructed a retaining wall on the Mangaluru road for arresting landslips in the past monsoon. “Our advice against the use of slabs was not considered at all,” he lamented.
