NHAI orders quality checks on projects with abnormally low bids
New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) State-owned NHAI on Wednesday said it is undertaking special quality inspections of 17 under-construction National Highway projects, whose bid value was lower than the estimated project cost by over 15 per cent, with an aim to strengthen quality control during the construction period.
These inspections are in addition to regular quality checks and are aimed at identifying any quality-related issues at an early stage so that corrective action can be taken on time, NHAI said in a statement.
"The first round of inspections is scheduled to be completed by December 2026," the statement said, adding that NHAI will re-inspect the identified projects after 6 months with a different team of experts to ensure quality and adherence to construction standards.
NHAI said the 17 projects have been selected using three criteria -- construction cost of more than Rs 500 crore, tender discount of over 15 per cent and physical progress between 35 per cent and 80 per cent.
These criteria help focus quality checks on projects that are at an important stage of construction and adopt an objective, data-driven approach, it added.
These projects include greenfield and access-controlled corridors, bypasses, as well as four- and six-laning works in the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
In order to reinforce quality mechanism and ensure compliance, NHAI said it has created a pool of experts.
"The inspections will be carried out by specialised teams led by 39 experienced and retired engineers from various government organisations, including the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Defence and State Public Works Departments," it said, adding that technical experts will also support the teams during the inspections.
The teams will check construction work against approved drawings, technical specifications, contract conditions and project-specific quality plans. They will examine the quality of construction materials, workmanship, construction methods as well as records of sampling and testing, NHAI added.
The inspections will also cover road safety measures, traffic management and environmental safeguards, wherever applicable.
The specialised inspections will also help NHAI to identify common quality issues, construction practices and areas where greater accountability is required from contractors, consultants and other project stakeholders, it said.
