Uttarakhand govt suspends PWD engineers over damaged bridge approach road
Dehradun, Aug 7
The Uttarakhand government has suspended three Public Works Department engineers and ordered immediate action against design consultants after the approach road of a newly constructed bridge on the Tons River was damaged.
The incident involved the bridge at "Nanda Ki Chauki" on the old Dehradun‑Paonta Sahib National Highway. A preliminary inquiry found that heavy upstream scouring created a cavity, damaging the approach road. The inquiry attributed the problem primarily to the design consultant, who failed to provide the required design of river diversion work and did not recommend river training measures despite the river bed's cross slope and meandering nature. As a result, the river flow concentrated on one span, causing scouring.
Secretary, Uttarakhand Government, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, issued directions on August 7, 2026, to the Chief Engineer, PWD, Dehradun. Referring to the preliminary inquiry report submitted by the Chief Engineer, Regional Office, he fixed responsibility on the design consultant and proof‑checking consultant.
He directed immediate action against them and asked for a time‑bound action plan, based on the protective measures suggested in the inquiry report, to safeguard the bridge in the future.
Separately, office orders issued the same day suspended three officers who were overseeing the work. Executive Engineer Rajesh Kumar of the provincial division, PWD, Dehradun, was suspended with immediate effect. The order stated that he failed to ensure technical supervision, quality control, compliance with contractual conditions and proper discharge of duties. This was described as gross negligence and serious dereliction of duty that tarnished the government's image and affected public interest.
Assistant Engineer Amit Tyagi and Junior Engineer Naveen Gairola of the same division were also suspended on identical grounds. Both were held responsible for failing to maintain technical oversight, enforce quality control, ensure contractual compliance and report critical technical deficiencies to higher officers.
All three officers will remain attached to the office of the Chief Engineer, PWD, Dehradun, during suspension. They will receive subsistence allowance as per rules and cannot leave headquarters without prior permission.
The suspensions have been ordered under the Uttarakhand Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2003, as the case is serious in nature and may attract major penalties. The government has stressed the need for swift corrective measures to protect the structure and prevent further damage.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The inquiry report says the design consultant didn't even recommend river training measures. That's a basic requirement for a river bridge! How did this get approved in the first place? The checking system is clearly broken. 🙄
Good that action was taken, but let's be honest – this paper suspension does nothing for the people who travel on that dangerous road every day. The damage is done. The government needs to focus on fixing the bridge quickly and properly, not just punishing people after the fact.
Central government should also do an audit of all bridges built by PWD in Uttarakhand. This is just one incident; there might be many more such poorly constructed projects. Better check before disaster strikes. 🙏
The suspension is long overdue. But I'm more concerned about the design consultant – they said action would be taken against them too. What does that actually mean? Will they be blacklisted from future government projects? Otherwise it's just a slap on the wrist.
People in hilly areas like Uttarakhand depend on such bridges for everything – getting to hospitals, schools, markets. It's really sad that proper engineering was not done on priority. Hope the state government keeps its word and fixes this soon. 🙏
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