Srinagar, July 29: Hyderpora flyover, the 18-month project incomplete even after missing a dozen odd deadlines since its inception in 2006, is feared to bring embarrassment for government on yet another front. The kilometer-long concrete structure has cracked at one of the ramps connecting to the central spans thereby raising concerns about public safety in traversing the busy highway square, which is equally frequented by VIPs driving down the Airport Road.
 The cracks, which appeared last year, soon after a portion of the flyover was thrown open for traffic, could not be hidden even despite repeated cementing. Highly placed sources said it was for the third time that the cracked portion has been cemented, this time ahead of final inauguration scheduled for August 17.

THE CRACKS
 The ramp towards south west of the flyover cracked at the corner, a location considered pivotal by engineers for strength of such building structures.
 First time the cracks were seen was a year back, soon after the inauguration of incomplete structure, when one of the flyover tracks was thrown open for public by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in presence of other government top brass.
 The residents said they first thought that the crack was superficial. But to check it, they played the thumb rule by pressing a stone into the narrow fissure. “After some days we were shocked to see that the stone we had pressed in using force was moving freely, enough to convey that fissures were widening,” the residents said.

CRACKS NOTHING NEW
 In fact, fissures are nothing new for people living close to the Hyderpora flyover because many of the houses there developed cracks during digging of trenches to erect flyover pillars.
 Some experts that time expressed reservations over the technology used to construct the mega structure on “loose soil”. But as the project went ahead, many houses developed cracks. Though the government had assured compensation, the victims said, it was never paid.

THE CEMENTING SKIRT
 But before news about flyover fissures would spread, the project executing agency got it cemented instantly hoping that the issue would get skirted. After some months, the cracks resurfaced and the cementing was repeated. For now the cracked “cornerstone pillar” has again been cemented ahead of the final inauguration.

THE RISK
 Experts feared the cracks were risky because the corner pillar is the only support to Earth Retention Panels, the huge cement plates which retain the flyover ramp. “Crack at such a vital junction means that the retention wall can collapse anytime thereby risking the life of those traversing the ramp,” said a retired engineer.

GOVT SPEAKS
 Roads and Building (R&B) department officials, however, downplayed the matter saying such “wear and tear” was a part of big projects adding that there was “nothing to worry at all”. “This is not a crack but superficial fissure which needs to be covered with cement,” said a senior R&B official at Civil Secretariat.
 When contacted the MOS R&B Javed Dar initially ruled out any cracks. “There might be some difference in concreting,” the MOS told Greater Kashmir.
 But when told that the spot has been cemented multiple times, he said: “We will have to check it out.”
 The Minister however assured that government was maintaining requisite safety standards and was committed to provide best of the facilities to the people. “Our first priority is safety of people and to provide them with best of the facilities so be assured that there’ll never be any compromise on quality,” Dar maintained.

DEADLINE MOCKERY
In 2010, following chronic delay in completion of the flyover, the National Conference led government evolved a witty strategy to avoid any further embarrassment. Instead of the two lanes of the flyover, the government laid all efforts on the construction of the single tube, which would obviously take half the time in completion.
 With this in mind the government decided to inaugurate the flyover in phases. As a part of this strategy, in summer of 2011, a single lane with incomplete road dividers and no lighting for nocturnal movement on the highway was thrown open.
 But the work never met deadlines. From Mufti Muhammad Sayed to Omar Abdullah, three Chief Ministers in a line pledged to complete the work in time, but all failed. Abdullah’s predecessor, Ghulam Nabi Azad, even tried to introduce double-shift to get the work completed but no efforts could bear fruit.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST