Roads in Trimbak fail MERI’s standard tests

NASHIK: Two of the 84 samples of concrete roads built in Trimbakeshwar have failed the standard tests conducted by the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) in its material testing laboratory, sources have said.
The MERI has collected in all 179 samples of concrete roads in Trimbakeshwar. The new roads were constructed after the earlier concrete, tar and temporary roads were dug up for laying new drinking water supply pipeline on the backdrop of the Kumbh Mela.Of the 84 samples tested, two have failed.
"The two samples that failed test were those of the internal roads - both near the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) resort. The contractor has been asked to re-do the works and get the testing reports before his payment is cleared," chief officer NM Nagre said.
The work of collecting samples is still going on, a source from MERI said. "The samples are processed in laboratory. Every day five samples can be tested for evaluation," the sources said.
Other samples collected include 20 samples from the concrete roads constructed by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) - from Ashok Stambh to Ravivar Karanja, at Malegaon Stand and Ganeshwadi.
"All the tests are related to concrete roads only and the samples are collected from the newly laid roads by the corporation, as per the letter received from the NMC itself. We have not identified the works, but the NMC has and those are the ones which will be analyzed. In all, 20 core samples have been collected. It may take some time before the reports are out," the officer said.
The officer also pointed out that some of the contractors had expressed their desire to be present during the testing of the samples. "We will allow visitors to the institute to see what is being done here. But they cannot intervene in our procedures," a senior official from MERI said.
The officer also pointed out that the organisation had collected 18 samples each from the ghats in Nashik city and Trimbakeshwar. The samples of the ghats constructed at Takli and Dasak Panchak and the ones in Trimbakeshwar have been collected and tests will be performed on those samples as well, he added.