RREC PROJECTS GAIN GROUND OVERCOMING TOUGH ROADBLOCKS
Part of the New NH No 52 programme, the strategically important Karodi-Aurangabad Road Project (KARP) is being executed by RREC in EPC mode that involves constructing a 56.77 km 4-lane alignment with 28.25 km of service roads, 144 structures including 81 culverts, 19 minor bridges, 14 over & underpasses, two flyovers, a major bridge and host of other ancillary works. Work at site for Project Manager, Radhi Surya Rao and team started in full swing as soon as the NTP was received on February 12th, 2019.
On a roll …
Almost immediately, they ran into their first roadblock: much of the alignment ran through a forest area that required nearly 1,82,000 MT of hard rock excavation. “Normally, working through forest areas in a road project is time consuming as clearances and approvals are often delayed,” points out Surya Rao. Aware of these dangers, the team led by Pankaj Kale and Bharat Singh, Structural In-charges for Sections 1 & 2, resolutely followed up with the forest authorities to obtain the requisite clearances in double quick time boosting the execution team to complete the total area in record time. “This gave us a huge head start,” Surya’s satisfaction is evident. “Our momentum took us through the monsoon without any slackening of pace and in the process achieved all our milestones well ahead of schedule.” In fact, the project achieved new heights during the monsoon delivering a record production of 10,000 cum concrete every month along with other ancillary activities.
With this massive ‘push’, the KARP project team achieved their first milestone 173 days ahead of schedule and their second, a good 219 days before schedule. Talk of being on the fast track!
4 lanes completed from CH 304+000 to CH 305+000 in the middle of a forest area
Stopped in their tracks
The pandemic put the brakes on this rapidly progressing project and though site activities were suspended, the team turned their focus to manage their workforce to keep them engaged and safe. “It was like fighting a war,” remarks Planning Manager, Ketan Wakankar, in the thick of action. “The entire KARP team of 89 employees came together to address the situation effectively with a strategic approach. To micro monitor activities, we divided our 210 departmental workmen and 545 workmen into small groups of 25 each with a mentor (respective engineer) appointed for each group who took care of his group and kept informing the Project Manager of developments on a regular basis.”
The entire exercise was driven by the dedicated and goal-oriented, Uma Sankar Mahapatra, Head – Accounts, who coordinated to keep the site safe from infections and played a key role helping several workmen return to their native places after the unlock.
“It was like fighting a war. The entire KARP team of 89 employees came together to address the situation effectively with a strategic approach.”
Ketan Wakankar
Planning Manager, Karodi-Aurangabad Road Project
The result of their focused approach was that KARP did not record a single positive COVID-19 case. An achievement that won them praise from the government authorities, the local public and even featured in the local newspapers.
Overcoming disruptions
At site, even after the restrictions were relaxed, the team struggled to get rolling without adequate labour force and the necessary bulk materials. Working with their subcontractors, the team put in their best efforts to motivate and bring back the labour as well as other resources bearing all the consequential expenses despite restrictions on inter-state train and other vehicular movement.
Apart from Men & Material, Head – P&M, Mangude Dhanaji Hariba won accolades for keeping his machinery running, turning in a zero-accident report, and setting new records in the process. “We mobilized various critical machineries like cranes ensuring that the subsequent process of construction (girder erection) went off smoothly and efficiently,” he says. Under his leadership, KARP has successfully implemented the 5P concept at site. The project’s Hot Mix Plant, well regarded for its housekeeping, has set a record within RREC of 25,642 MT asphalt production from a single 120 TPH plant in a month. He took up the additional responsibility of site safety and has played a lead role in KARP clocking 7.5 million safe manhours and counting.
Another completed 4-lane stretch with a median opening
“Even as we were getting our act in place, we were hit by one of the fiercest monsoons in recent times,” shares Surya, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. “The compounding effect of these two setbacks could have easily pushed the date of completion of the project beyond our contractual completion date but we took these setbacks in our stride, using every single opportunity to make up for the precious lost time by ensuring that the right person was at right place with the right resources.” Surya Rao, Ketan and the team have every reason to smile for they achieved their 3rd milestone 174 days ahead of schedule!
Surya Rao agrees that they succeeded because they did several things right like quickly mobilising workmen from other States even during the lockdown, closely following up for the maintenance of equipment, procurement of materials through telephonic discussions and conducting all meetings regularly and virtually. “Obtaining the statutory permissions from the Government authorities, maintaining goodwill with the authorities and consultant while adhering to our professional commitments really stood us in good stead,” he says, “as also our judicious use of resources at site.” A case in point: their crusher site office has been constructed entirely using only scrap materials.
“Obtaining the statutory permissions from the Government authorities, maintaining goodwill with the authorities and consultant while adhering to our professional commitments really stood us in good stead, as also our judicious use of resources at site.”
Radhi Surya Rao
Project Manager, Karodi-Aurangabad Road Project
CTP 14 project ploughs ahead towards target
Work at the CTP 14 project, a greenfield project of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor with a proposed 128-km alignment from Rewari to Dadri, was flagged off on February 1st, 2017. An integrated package, the project involves the design and construction of civil, buildings, Track Works, electrical & mechanical works, and Signalling & Telecommunication for double line electrified track with 2×25 kV AC, 50 Hz., formation and bridge structures to be provided for 32.5 Tonne axle load and the track structure for 25 Tonne axles.
Challenges emerged for Project Director, Shashank Pachhade and his team almost from word “go” as being situated in the Capital region, issues relating to statutory compliances and availability of borrow earth cropped up that were expeditiously overcome under the leadership of Project Manager of the Formation Team, Pachipulusu Murthy. The team were at peak activity having completed 58% of the earthwork when the pandemic brought progress to a halt. While on one hand, they immediately took steps to keep the employees and workmen safe, Shashank could not lose sight of his project deliverables. “We kept ourselves busy quantifying our work as per design, reconciling material, preparing catch-up plans to overcome hurdles and push critical activities and prepare method statements for approvals.” The period of relative inactivity was also used to train some of the staff online on quality, crushers and management subjects by the Project Department heads.
“We kept ourselves busy quantifying our work as per design, reconciling material, preparing catch-up plans to overcome hurdles and push critical activities and preparing method statements for approvals.”
Shashank Pachhade
Project Director, CTP 14 Project
The team made quick progress as soon as operations resumed in mid-April by completing the earthworks and blanket track laying from the Asawati Link Line (IR) to the Prithla Yard and full height embankment of 30 m from CH 68+300 to 68+600. “We have completed 80% of earthwork, 43 km of blanket top and 3300 MT of blanket production from CH 58 Pugmill,” elaborates Planning Manager, Priyang Panchal, adding proudly, “we set a record of sorts with a continuous pour of 500 cum in a single day at the Dadri location for ERS work.”
Along with his team, Pachipulusu Murthy’s drive and supervision has a lot to show for their effort. “We have completed 2.23 crore cum of earthwork, 30 LMT of rock excavation, 70 km of embankment and 66 K cum of concrete,” he energetically reels off his numbers.
“We have completed 80% of earthwork, 43 km of blanket top and 3300 MT of blanket production from CH 58 Pugmill. We set a record of sorts with a continuous pour of 500 cum in a single day at the Dadri location for ERS work.”
Priyang Panchal
Planning Manager, CTP 14 Project
While Priyang has streamlined planning meeting all requirements promptly and adequately, he has additional responsibility as Section In-charge for the critical rock excavation at the portal and blanketing works for the Asawati Link line connection. “Having completed the excavation well on time, we have already handed over the portal to Heavy Civil IC for tunnel excavation,” he says, with an air of achievement. In addition, Priyang and team completed the blanketing works for the Asawati connection by September and have handed them over for track laying. Prior to the lockdown, the blanketing works had stalled due to certain transportation statutory issues in Delhi NCR and the non-performance of the subcontractors. Senior Manager (Civil), Krunal Shah, who dons the additional hat of Quality Manager, had stepped in to resolve the logistics issues of movement from crusher to stock and Pugmill to site, helping to complete the blanketing works from 12 km to 40 km.
Construction Manager, Sanjay Dadhe has also been doing his bit completing a major part of the earthwork, excavation, blanketing and slope protection for the stretch from CH 29+000 to CH 55+117. Presently he is deployed at the Prithla Yard section due to his considerable experience in structural works. “There are major ERS works pending,” he observes. “I am now in charge from CH 82+000 to CH 97+093 for the earthwork, blanketing, ERS, RE Wall and handover of the Prithla Yard and need to complete them all by August 2021,” with a look that says that he is ready for the challenge.
Even as his team is manfully pushing ahead, Shashank feels that they have made remarkable headway thanks to their quick mobilization of workmen, cleverly opening new fronts at the Faridabad, Prithala, Dadri and Dharudera sections and closely monitoring the mobilization of equipment and material. “Apart from close follow ups with the government authorities for clearances, we also moved our staff around, putting some of them in charge of priority stretches. They succeeded and therefore we succeeded too,” he laughs, though knowing full well that he still has a long way to go.
EDFC CP 303 project delivers despite the pandemic
Over at the 225 km long EDFC CP 303 railway project involving the construction of bridges and formation works across six districts of Uttar Pradesh that is part of the 1839 km long Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni in West Bengal, the team delivered the Gulaothi Yard Depot, the first of its kind, in the entire corridor that can receive directly through rail racks. “We did it in true L&T style,” shares an excited Vikram Kohli, Project Manager, “and unloaded 7,000 MT of rails right in the middle of the pandemic.”
A view of the Gulaothi Yard receiving directly through rail racks
Chasing cash, the team adopted safe methods of working to keep the project on track with a Quick Response Team involving the Project Director and other top site leadership assigned with clear roles and responsibilities to direct the course of action. Starting operations on May 6th post the unlock, the team focused on strengthening their workforce that increased from 250 to 750 and the earthwork teams from 23 to 43 by mid-June.
“We did it in true L&T style, and unloaded 7,000 MT of rails right in the middle of the pandemic.”
Vikram Kohli
Project Manager, EDFC CP 303 Railway Project
“As most of our works are machine-oriented, we handed them over to subcontractors on a back-to-back basis,” informs Vikram. Ensuring continuous supply of bulk material was a challenge that they overcame by obtaining special permissions from the government and the Railways for movement of men and material. “We had all our bases covered that enabled us to achieve 90% peak progress in May and 110% in June as compared to the previous year,” Vikram’s smile is obvious. “Better physical progress resulted in better invoicing and thereby better collections.” Quite a win-win situation for the project team.
“We have to handle and control a huge quantum of aggregates from larger leads. A separate earthwork team has been mobilized in the smaller sections with end-to-end responsibility of work including maintaining the approach roads during the monsoon.”
Mayank Varshney
Construction Manager – Planning, EDFC CP 303 Railway Project
Vikram attributes his team’s success to a combination of proper comprehension of the jobs, teamwork, prompt decision making, envisaging unforeseen risks and the preparedness to manage them. “I am always open to new ideas and believe in leading from the front,” he says. “I understand the capabilities of individuals and look to channelize their strengths to contribute to the successful implementation of the project.”
The project team has a hefty scope that includes constructing 283 TKM of tracks, 37 major bridges, 38 major RUBs, 588 minor bridges, handling 36,000 MT of rails and building 21 station buildings and yards apart from a huge amount of ancillary works. “We have to handle and control a huge quantum of aggregates from larger leads,” mentions Mayank Varshney, Construction Manager – Planning. “A separate earthwork team has been mobilized in the smaller sections with end-to-end responsibility of work including maintaining the approach roads during the monsoon.”
“Our strategy has been very simple,” concludes Vikram, “understanding our employer’s requirement and the expectations of the Client and Management, evolve strategies according to them and execute.” It is working thus far for Vikram and we wish him and his team all the very best!