Use of substandard materials

Consultants or contractors often sacrifice the quality of construction for financial corruption. It is also seen that the cost of repairing buildings and roads as a result of substandard building materials runs into millions of rupees.

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit various cities, towns and villages in upper and lower Sindh, including my home district Larkano and its adjacent towns and villages. The provincial Roads and Buildings Department had undertaken the construction of roads and various buildings in various areas. There have been various media reports about the use of substandard material in these roads.

An example of usage of substandard material and poor construction is a judges residence in the vicinity of Sindh High Court, Circuit Larkano. The contractor has incurred millions of rupees in losses due to substandard roofing materials used in the construction of judges residences. The crafty contractor has cheated the government by using substandard roofing and waterproofing materials in the construction in order to cut costs. Complaints have often been lodged with the concerned executive engineer alleging that contractors are using substandard material in construction of roads, walls and various buildings in the area but in vain because the contractors and officials are reported to be in a nexus.

Being an engineer, I could conclude that money crazy contractors are using sand and silt instead of crusher material. These contractors openly violate rules by using unapproved material.

In this connection it is suggested that educating citizens, homeowners, local contractors, engineers and architects about the honest use of roofing materials is the best safeguard against the rampant cheating and the use of substandard and unspecified building materials.

However, I appeal to the concerned authorities to order a probe into construction of all the roads and buildings by the concerned department and take action against the unscrupulous contractors. In this matter it is proposed that an on-the-spot-assessment of the works may be made to ascertain facts and these enemies of the nation and national exchequer may be awarded an exemplary punishment as per law.

HASHIM ABRO

Islamabad