CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) signed an MoU with Anna University on Monday to ensure the quality of construction henceforth.
TNUHDB will now have experts from the university check the construction quality of the various projects. The board has been collaborating with experts from IIT- Madras, NIT Tiruchy who constitute a third-party quality assessment panel.
Officials from the board said that apart from the existing quality check carried out by a private concern nominated by the State government, experts from the third-party assessment panel will identify any lapse in quality or may also suggest improvements. This will be done in ongoing and future constructions of the board. The MoU is valid for two years.
“The experts will check the methodology, materials used, quality and workmanship and if they spot any lapses, a nonconformity report will be filed. In response to the TNUHDB officials will have to rectify the issues and in turn, submit an action taken report,” said a senior official. “For example, there have been plastering issues reported in TNUHDB buildings across the State. Measures have been taken to eradicate the problem,” the official added.
In January, a TNUHDB tenement in Thiruvottiyur had collapsed with residents escaping merely a few minutes before the collapse. A technical committee that includes experts from Anna University was formed to inspect the TNUHDB building quality with priority on those that are over 30 years old.
MoU valid for 2 years
Experts from the third-party assessment panel will identify any lapse in quality or may also suggest improvements. The MoU is valid for two years