November 5: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposes to appoint yet another committee to look into the sewerage tunnel project at Bandra, which has already cost the civic body Rs two crore due to poor quality construction.

Group leaders today agreed in principle to the proposal of the civic administration to appoint a technical advisory committee comprising six members to study the suggestions made by Binnie and Partners Consultancy on undoing the damage to the tunnel.

Binnie and Partners had offered three repair options with the estimated cost ranging from Rs 69 crore to Rs 91 crore. Finding the cost too steep, the civic administration chose to set up another panel to explore more cost effective repairs. The setting up of the panel, which will require approval by the standing committee, will cost the civic administration Rs 10 lakh.The advisory committee will be headed by the irrigation department secretary (retd) V R Deoskar.

Additional municipal commissioner Sharwaree Gokhale added that all the members were experts from the field of tunnel construction.Group leaders suggested today that at least two of the committee members should be from the BMC.

Following this suggestion the administration has invited nominations to the panel. Shiv Sena leader Nandu Satam said the group leaders felt the need for settting up of the panel to be on the safer side since the suggested repair cost was huge. However, he added that the party will have to take a serious note if the advisory committee suggests the same options as the consultancy firm. ``There should be an increased vigilance of the construction work on the tunnel,'' Satam said.

Meanwhile, the administration has failed to initiate any legal action against the consortium of three companies - Engineering Sciences, Associated Industrial Consultants and Public Health Engineer who allegedly undertook the poor quality work on the linings of the Bandra tunnel.

Gokhale disclosed that the administration had sought permission from its legal department to sue the consortium for poor quality work. She added that a writ will be filed soon in the high court against the consortium for gross negligence and fraud.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Morrison of M/s R V Anderson Consultants from Canada has agreed to provide the needful technical inputs to the committee during his visit to Mumbai.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.