A technical team from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), New Delhi, inspected the collapsed retaining wall at the under-construction Pune–Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48) near Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Nippani on Saturday.
The inspection follows the July 29 collapse of a section of the retaining wall and complaints from local residents over the quality of work on the six-laning project.
According to NHAI General Manager (Bengaluru) Mr. Brahmankar, the central team carried out a detailed quality assessment using advanced testing equipment and engineering methods. The team collected technical data from the site, and a final report will be prepared after analysing the findings.
Mr. Brahmankar said that the construction work, which had been temporarily halted following the incident, will now resume.
The retaining wall had collapsed while the flyover approach embankment was still under construction. Initial findings indicate that heavy rainfall allowed water to seep into the embankment, causing erosion and the failure of the wall before the pavement work was completed.
Following the incident, NHAI has already initiated disciplinary action against officials responsible for supervising the project. The Project Director, Bridge Engineer and Resident Engineer have been suspended pending further inquiry, while a show-cause notice has been issued to the contractor. The authority said additional action, if required, will be decided after the quality inspection report is submitted.
The collapse triggered public concern over the quality of construction on the six-laning project, with residents questioning how a newly built retaining wall could fail even before the highway was completed.
“A quality inspection team from Delhi visited Nipani and inspected the site following the wall collapse. The team has collected all technical information and will submit its report after analysis. At present, three officials have been suspended in connection with the incident,” said Mr. Brahmankar, General Manager, NHAI, Bengaluru.