Palikes road infrastructure tenders, workorder, quality of road delivery, passing the bill and opening the roads for citizen use
Indian Road Congress(IRC), Urban Road design standards says following layers in a bituminous Pavement are to be maintained to have a long-lasting road, in general works tared roads.
- Bituminous Base Course, Bituminous Binder Course and Bituminous Concrete Sub caste / surface course
Often, road works undetaken by BBMP assigned contractor will see all sorts of Functional Failures, Structural Failures and Functional Failure of Bituminous Pavement Structures such as potholes, Bumps and Sag, Edge Cracking, Shoving, Rutting ect… The common man knows all the above failuers as “Pothols”. Namma BBMP spends several crores year after year to asphalt roads with an intent to make the road motorable to citizens. Officials floated tender with numerous packages with titles – Comprehensive Development of Asphalt Road Drain & Rainwater Harvesting Pit Works alike. The tender document will have all required essential conditions, below is a sample condition of the tender document
“Frequency of the Quality tests of all the materials and other tests have to be conducted by contractor as per Specifications for Road and Bridge Works (5th Revision) and IRC:SP:11-1984 Handbook of Quality Control for Construction of Roads and Runways, IRC:SP:47-1998 Guidelines on Quality Systems for Road Bridges (Plain, Reinforced, Prestressed), RC:SP:57-2000 Guidelines for Quality Systems for Road Construction and Composite Concrete and SP:7-2005 National Building Code of India, SP:63 2007 Explanatory Guide for the application of Quality System Standards (IS ISO 9001, 9002 & 9003), IS: 456-2000, Plain and Reinforced Concrete-Code of Practice (Fourth Revision), IS: 800-2007, Code of Practice for General Construction in Steel: Code of Practice 3rd Revision, Indian Building Congress: Quality Manual for Civil works in Building Projects. & other relevant Indian standards in his laboratory or any other Laboratory assigned by the BBMP on his own cost in presence of Engineer/ consultants appointed by BBMP”.
The L1 contractor will be awarded the job with below conditions
“ The Work shall be commenced with all Men and Machinery within 7 days from the Date of Work Order, failing which it would be presumed that the Successful Tenderer is not interested in the Work and Action will be taken to get the Work executed through Alternate Agency at the risk and cost of the Former Tenderers”
“The Construction Debris Generated from Work Shall be dumped in Designated Dumping Yards Only and many more clauses”
The contractor who takes up the road starts the job, (in)complete the work with debris left at site, claim for passing the bill and takes exit from the job. During the course of executing the job – road asphalting as example, the key missing points are
- Asphalting (Bituminous pavements) alone is not road making, missing critical element, design and execution of tertiary drainage for rainwater flow and pedestrians’ safe access
- Not undertaking milling process before relaying roads, asphalt on top of the existing surface which is equivalent to black painting the road surface
- Insufficient/lack of material and job quality check and maintaining the standards as per tender document
- Poor road geometry design before starting the road asphalting to reduce Waterlogged, pavement failure, geogrid, soil stabilization etc…
- The most important missing link is accountability to system and no citizen participation/officials inspecting the job being executed
For the question – Pothole free roads in Namma Bengaluru is possible? Definity the answer is yes. This is possible when we have informed citizens who will actively participate in local institutions such as ward committees and play a civic vigil to not only bad quality of roads, but all government works being undertaken in their respective neighbourhood. Please do not say the mafia is strong to break, officials will game the system, political leaders will not deliver as promised. Ultimately democratic elected representatives are chosen by citizens of our city to protect the wellbeing of city and citizens.
Participatory democracy can deliver a comprehensive Development of Asphalt Road Drain & Rainwater Harvesting Pit Works in your neighbourhood only when networked Societies start functioning as forums to question, demand the works to be delivered and engage actively with the system.
Bengaluru Nagarikare, this time we will not let our institution and systems fail. We will promise to collectively deliver for our better today and tomorrow
