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Slab on Dwarka E-way flyover collapses, 3 hurt

Slab on Dwarka E-way flyover collapses, 3 hurt
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Gurugram: Weeks after Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari inspected ongoing work of the key under-construction flyover on Dwarka Expressway connecting Delhi-Gurugram-Manesar, a large slab of the flyover suddenly collapsed early Sunday morning around 7:40 am, severely injuring three labourers working at the construction site.

The condition of two out of three injured labourers is believed to be critical. Receiving treatment at a private hospital, these two labourers have been placed on a ventilator. What prevented more injuries was the fact that there were fewer workers present at the construction site at the time on account of Holi celebrations.

According to sources, during the time of the mishap, there were 15 workers around the site. A Public-Private Partnership Enterprise (PPP), the project is being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Haryana government and several private contractors, including L&T.

An important project of the Dwarka Expressway, this elevated flyover is being constructed at Sector-106 adjoining Bajghera and Daultabad village. Once completed, this flyover will connect not only Delhi and Gurugram but also extend to Manesar. What can lead to further embarrassment for the NHAI is that work of this flyover was recently examined by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during his visit to Gurugram on March 2.

"We will be soon initiating an inquiry into this matter to find out exactly what caused this mishap," said Nirman Jambulkar, Project Director Dwarka Expressway.

"We are ascertaining the reasons for the collapse of the portion of the flyover. For this, we are talking to private contractors involved in this project and are also coordinating with NHAI officials so that the exact causes for this unfortunate incident can be found out. There are three workers that have received severe injuries and they have been admitted in a private hospital for treatment," said Deepak Saharan DCP (West) Gurugram.

The construction of the 27.6-km long Dwarka Expressway is estimated to cost Rs 9,000 crore. The project was conceptualised in 2007 as a northern ring road that would provide an alternative route connecting the national capital and neighbouring Gurugram. While 18.1 km of it will run in Haryana, the remaining 9.5 km will be in Delhi.

In a cause of major concern for major infrastructure projects that are being undertaken in Gurugram, this mishap comes barely seven months after a portion of the Sohna elevated flyover collapsed on August 22 last year.

Just like the Dwarka Expressway flyover, the Sohna elevated flyover was also a PPP project in which NHAI and Haryana Government had given contracts to private players for construction. The collapse had resulted in NHAI taking stringent actions with several officials taken off the project and huge fines being levied on private contractors.

Between 2019 and 2021, seven major infrastructural road projects have either developed cracks, caved in or a portion of their structures have collapsed in Gurugram. Some of these projects include the Hero Chowk Flyover, IFFCO Chowk, Rampur Flyover and Pataudi Rail Overbridge road.

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