Rainwater may damage mega projects

LAHORE:Constructions on two ongoing mega projects of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) may face damage in ongoing rains as the LDA management has failed to plan the execution of these projects at the right time.

One can witness urban flooding at under-construction Firdous Market Underpass and Aik Moriya Bridge. The constructions of these projects went under water by many feet, though LDA management has claimed to remove the water from there in record time. Several civil and construction engineers while talking to The News said stagnant rainwater or accumulation of rainwater may cause many problems for a number of different types of constructions such as roofing, excavating, and even filling of concrete. They said any mega project should be launched before or after monsoon season for its stability and strength.

“Heavy rain can turn the ground on the site into mud, which may put workers at risk,” said a civil engineer. He said at many places heavy rains can cause ground to become sodden and the water tables rise causing problems with excavating for utilities or basements. “Heavy rains can cause problems even for completed construction jobs,” he claimed, adding accumulation of rainwater can erode roads to the point where they break and get swept away by the flow.

As the roof of Firdous Market Underpass is under construction, wet weather is dangerous for it and it becomes difficult to work on roofs in this weather, he said. On the other hand, LDA claimed more than 65 per cent civil work on Firdaus Market underpass project has so far been completed and construction activity was being carried out round the clock for finishing it during the first week of next month. LDA officials said pouring of concrete for construction of deck slab was in full swing besides excavation for building ramps of the underpass. Digging out of wells for disposal of rainwater was also in progress for earliest completion of the project. Construction of all the 880 piles and 350 meters long retaining walls had already been completed. Wasa infrastructure comprising 18 inches diameter sewerage line had also been laid. Habibullah Randhawa, Chief Engineer LDA, while talking to The News said two dewatering sets were installed atAik Moriya Bridge due to which rainwater was drained out in record minimum time. Similarly at Firdous Market two wells were constructed in which rainwater accumulated. He said this process is called rainwater harvesting and LDA has planned to construct an underground water tank with a capacity of 0.6 million gallons of water at nearby Qarshi Park. He said this rainwater harvesting project was also made part of the Firdous Market Underpass.

He, however, claimed that the ongoing rain could not cause any damage to the constructions of these projects because LDA has taken all precautionary measures and acting on SOPs made for saving the construction from rainwater.

To a question that all the nearby roads of Firdous Market were dug up for the purpose of laying pipelines and may cause damage to citizens or nearby buildings, he said they were already filled and if rainwater accumulates there, it is drained out at the earliest.