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| JU's natural history museum develops cracks all over before inauguration | | | Bharat Bhushan
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, June 7: On one occasion termed state-of-the-art for its "architecture" and "low-cost" construction by ex-J&K governor S K Sinha before he relinquished office on June 26, 2008, natural history museum (NHM) of Jammu University has developed cracks all over.
The cracks, big and wide, are visible right from the entrance to the first floor of the building which is yet to be inaugurated and handed over to the department concerned.
The giant glass entrance is too in a state of dreadful dilapidation. The glass is broken and the lean wooden frame too seems weak to hold the heavy glass panes.
All this despite the JU status of being India's first ISO 9001:2000 certified institute of higher learning. This requires for a consistent quality management system and aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of rules.In the NHM case, however, it seems as if the authorities concerned at the campus have failed somewhere in demonstrating their ability to come true to the ISO 9001:2000 standards by all means.Executive engineer Suresh Sharma, who is head of works department at JU, does not find anything wrong in cracks in the walls, wall and ceiling joints and the leaking roof.Asked if it was not due to poor quality of work and use of sub-standard material, he said, "No. It can't be termed so. It all happened because the building is lying unused for the past over an year and a half." "Don't you know it has been constructed by the Jullundhar-based M/s Srishti Constructions, one of the India's most trusted names in the making of buildings?" he asked.He continued showering praises on the firm and said, "It does not compromise in quality and has a proven track record."
"Cracks often develop in column structures when walls are raised to carve out rooms and halls," Sharma said and added, "We need not to get panicky about it." In reply to a query, he said the building was constructed at a cost of over Rs 1 cr.
"You know ex-governor S K Sinha had termed the NHM building state-of-the-art for its good designing and low-cost construction" Sharma informed. When asked that "low-cost" construction might be a reason for the "poor" quality of work which was visible in the shape of cracks everywhere, he replied in the negative and said, "No, no, no... The firm has a big reputation."
But Sharma's assertions do not seem to hold much water as these cannot be termed capable of standing up to any logic. He also did not find it worth to elaborate on important issues like release of payment to the firm without examining the material used in the construction which is a standard measure adopted by government departments and institutes.
Praising a firm for its "good" track record is no logic in such situations. TRG, a reputed name in the country, had also to eat humble pie when a giant under construction railway pillar being constructed by it by the Tawi river bed side near Tutein di Khui here had collapsed in 2004-05, resulting in the instant death of a Nepali labourer.So Sharma's justification that M/s Srishti Constructions could not compromise with quality, because it was a big and reputed firm, does not fit anywhere in the science of reasoning.He also said that some JU students had been raising the issue unnecessarily.
Finding it hard to digest Sharma's statement, ex-JURSA (JU research scholars association) president Vikas Sharma demanded a probe into the alleged sub-standard use of material used in NHM building construcion.He warned to intensify their stir if an "impartial" inquiry in this regard was not announced by the university in a day, or two.JURSA president Rakesh Chib was also up in arms over the issue.
"Our demand is very simple and there should be no delay in ordering an inquiry," Vikas and Chib asserted.The executive engineer said once the NHM became operational, the cracks would be repaired.
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