Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on its contractor Strabag after potholes developed on the approach road of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), also called as Atal Setu, that was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 12, 2024. This was revealed in an RTI application filed by the activist Anil Galgali.
In an RTI query, Galgali had asked the MMRDA administration various information regarding the Atal Setu. In its reply, MMRDA informed that during the inspection carried out in the third week of June 2024, some small cracks were found in the temporary road connecting Ramp 5 of the bridge which is not part of the main bridge. These cracks have been promptly repaired and a show cause notice has been issued to the contractor Strabag in this regard.
On June 22, 2024, MMRDA Chief Engineer D M Chamalwar issued a notice to the contractor Strabag informing that the said road work has been completed on January 5, 2024 and still the quality of work is not maintained. After this, Atal Setu's consultant K R Shivanand sent a notice of Rs 1 crore to the contractor to correct the above issue within 48 hours of receiving this notice. In addition, Strabag was asked to provide a detailed action plan outlining the measures it will take to rectify these defects and bring the pavement quality up to the required standards, the notice said.
According to Galgali, every project should be monitored by MMRDA every six months so that mistakes made in quality and solid work can be rectified immediately. “The action taken against the contractor and the fine imposed is right, but it is also equally necessary to blacklist the contractor so that he doesn’t repeat such mistakes in the future,” Galgali said.
