Kanpur: The boundary wall constructed along the notorious Sisamau nullah collapsed at several places following the season’s first spell of heavy monsoon rain, triggering allegations of poor construction quality and financial irregularities. The Kanpur Municipal Corporation has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident and withheld payment to the contractor.The 1.8-km-long boundary wall, built between Baqar Mandi and the Jal Nigam tapping station, was completed barely three months ago. The project was undertaken to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of residents living along both sides of the nullah. The decision to construct the wall was taken after a young girl drowned in the nullah last year, highlighting the dangers posed by the open drain.
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Ward-10 corporator Laxmi Kori alleged large-scale irregularities in the construction, claiming that substandard materials had been used. She demanded that the KMC lodge an FIR against the construction company and its contractor and initiate recovery proceedings for the loss caused to the public exchequer. Kori has also submitted a formal complaint to Municipal Commissioner Arpit Upadhyaya.The boundary wall, topped with iron grills, passes through Wards 10 and 4. However, several stretches of the newly constructed structure collapsed during the first spell of heavy rain. According to local residents, the damaged portions revealed that the foundation had been filled with clay instead of concrete, making the wall incapable of withstanding water pressure.Residents alleged that they had repeatedly complained to the contractor during construction about the use of inferior materials, but no action was taken. “The collapse has proved that our complaints were genuine,” they said.Taking serious note of the incident, municipal commissioner Arpit Upadhyaya ordered a high-level inquiry and directed the accounts department to withhold the release of pending payments to the contractor and construction company until the investigation is completed. He also said the damaged boundary wall would be reconstructed.Mayor Pramila Pandey said a survey of the damaged structure had already been carried out. She said the contractor had been fined and blacklisted for poor-quality work. “The boundary wall will be rebuilt and strict action will be taken against those found responsible,” she said.
