An unnoticed tragedy

The collapse of an under-construction chimney at the Paricha thermal plant on May 24 in Uttar Pradesh seems to have escaped the attention of The Tribune. This accident is a repeat of the collapse of a chimney at the BALCO plant in Madhya Pradesh last September. But such failures in quick succession seem to be not enough to awaken the authorities.

Being an insider of the construction industry, I am of the considered view that the corruption prevalent in the construction industry is taking its toll and the real cause of collapse is the slender design and total lack of quality control. These things are the byproducts of corruption in the form of cuts and commissions widely prevalent and being considered almost legally permissible.

We are blindly adopting the Western model in the matter of construction of mega projects with the input of Indian integrity. Such failures, therefore, seem to be in waiting as a huge construction programme relating to power projects in the private sector is underway. It is for Central and state governments to evolve a foolproof mechanism and regulatory framework to arrest the rot. This can help avoid the loss of human lives.

S C CHABBA, Patiala