The road transport ministry has issued new guidelines emphasizing that authorities must take full responsibility for road tunnel projects, from inception to completion. These guidelines mandate weekly risk management meetings and a live risk register, ensuring accountability for mitigation measures. NEW DELHI: Authorities must take responsibility for every stage of a project, the road transport ministry said in its ‘Guidelines for Prevention and Mitigation of Road Tunnel Collapses’ issued on Thursday, amid a trend of highway authorities finding easy escape for such mishaps by passing the blame on contractors and consultants.As per the guidelines, the project in-charge must attend weekly risk management meetings with key project stakeholders. “The risk register shall remain a live document, regularly updated to ensure top risks are discussed and mitigation measures are implemented. Each identified risk shall have a designated person responsible for mitigation,” the document said.Specifying that authorities concerned must have ownership, the guidelines said hired agencies such as DPR consultants, contractors and authority engineers or independent engineers are distinct entities with specific and time-bound roles. “Authorities must ensure optimal performance from these entities to achieve project goals,” it said.To ensure safety and structural integrity of tunnel projects, the ministry said at the time of alignment survey, geological maps and national landslide susceptibility mapping published by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) must be consulted. It said all critical aspects of the contract — milestones, scheduling, provisions for variations, risk-sharing mechanisms and force majeure, must be addressed unambiguously.Highlighting that recent evidences suggest that many tunnel DPRs lack the necessary technical depth, reducing them to procedural formalities rather than effective risk management tools, the ministry said the project in-charge of the authority will be responsible for ascertaining the correctness of the geological and geotechnical investigation conducted as part of the DPR.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia’s Ambassador To UNESCO Hails Inscription Of Diwali On Intangible Cultural Heritage ListPutin Keeps Sharif Waiting In Ashgabat, Desperate Pakistan PM Gate-Crashes Meeting With ErdoganIs Trump Planning A New Core-5 Superclub With India As Central Power? Inside The Buzz In WashingtonIMF’s New Conditions Expose Pakistan’s Deep Economic Faultlines Amid $7 Billion Rescue PackageLashkar Praises Munir’s CDF Elevation, Issues Threats To Kabul And Deepens Pakistan Proxy Crisis’Hindus Are Lathi-Charged’: Anurag Thakur Attacks Tamil Nadu Govt Over Karthigai Deepam RowCongress Shows Rift As Odisha MLA Writes To Sonia Gandhi Seeking Kharge’s Removal, Priyanka’s RiseTrump’s $1 Million Gold Card Explained: What America’s Costliest Visa Means For Indian ApplicantsRahul Gandhi Demands Unified National Response As Parliament Debates India’s Air Pollution Crisis’Insult To The House’: Opposition Protests As Rajya Sabha Adjourns Over Absence Of Cabinet Ministers123Photostories‘Padayappa’ to ‘Petta’: Rajinikanth films that will explode your fan-boy heart on the Superstar’s birthday!5 longest animals found across the worldKidney damage: How “healthy” supplements and vitamins can sneakily hurt youFrom Border to Chhaava: ‘Dhurandhar’ Akshaye Khanna’s best performances you need to watch on OTTChef Sanjeev Kapoor’s creative and exotic fiber-rich broccoli recipes for winter monthsSonam Kapoor just gave us the winter-wedding maternity look of the seasonHigh-protein diet the Indian way: How to add more protein without overloading the kidneys5 quotes by Vikram Seth on love, truth, and relationships that spill the utmost truth‘Masaan’,‘Ugly’, ‘Kahaani’: Bollywood gems that remind us why story comes firstFrom Abhishek Kumar to Tanishaa Mukerji: ‘Bigg Boss’ stars who became a part of ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’123Hot PicksMukesh Ambani vs Gautam AdaniDonald TrumpAnurag ThakurGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays NovemberBank Holidays NovemberTop TrendingSherrone MooreIsaiah RiderStephen CurryGoa Night Club Fire NewsHiroko Real AgeMukesh Ambani vs Gautam AdaniTroy AikmanSherrone MoorePaige Shiver Net WorthJeff Shiver
NEW DELHI: Authorities must take responsibility for every stage of a project, the road transport ministry said in its ‘Guidelines for Prevention and Mitigation of Road Tunnel Collapses’ issued on Thursday, amid a trend of highway authorities finding easy escape for such mishaps by passing the blame on contractors and consultants.As per the guidelines, the project in-charge must attend weekly risk management meetings with key project stakeholders. “The risk register shall remain a live document, regularly updated to ensure top risks are discussed and mitigation measures are implemented. Each identified risk shall have a designated person responsible for mitigation,” the document said.Specifying that authorities concerned must have ownership, the guidelines said hired agencies such as DPR consultants, contractors and authority engineers or independent engineers are distinct entities with specific and time-bound roles. “Authorities must ensure optimal performance from these entities to achieve project goals,” it said.To ensure safety and structural integrity of tunnel projects, the ministry said at the time of alignment survey, geological maps and national landslide susceptibility mapping published by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) must be consulted. It said all critical aspects of the contract — milestones, scheduling, provisions for variations, risk-sharing mechanisms and force majeure, must be addressed unambiguously.Highlighting that recent evidences suggest that many tunnel DPRs lack the necessary technical depth, reducing them to procedural formalities rather than effective risk management tools, the ministry said the project in-charge of the authority will be responsible for ascertaining the correctness of the geological and geotechnical investigation conducted as part of the DPR.
