Shillong, Feb 19: Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Marcuise N Marak informed the Assembly today that sand used for construction work under the department is tested before being put to use.
The matter came up during the fourth day of the Budget Session when opposition MLAs raised concerns over the standards of building materials.
“Normally sand quality testing by the government under work of the PHE is sent to NIT (National Institute of Technology) and other private labs for analysis,” Marak told the house.
The minister also said that the state government now intends to set up such labs in Shillong, Tura and Jowai.
Dadenggre MLA Rupa M Marak of the Trinamool Congress, while taking part during Question Hour, said that sand is randomly extracted from rivers without being tested.
“I fear it may not be safe, lives can be lost. I lost my mother as a water tank collapsed on her,” the MLA said.
Mawlai legislator Brightstarwell Marbaniang of the Voice of the People Party said that he recently visited a dam built under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Lum Shyllong in Shilliang Um under his constituency, which is only a year old but has already started leaking.
Marbaniang said that if the sand is sent to NIT for quality checks the work should have been top class but on the ground the situation is different.
The PHE minister told the house that the central government has made it mandatory for a third party audit to be conducted before any payments are made while implementing the JJM, a central government initiative to provide piped potable water to all rural households.
Marak also urged the MLAs to report to him personally if there are any irregularities in the implementation of PHE schemes so that he can order inquiries.
Earlier, Marak told the house that the quality of sand used for construction is important and it is vital for strength and durability. He added that his department is publishing guidelines for designs and schedules of rates to ensure that the supply system conforms to specifications for materials in Indian standards.
