SANGUEM: Former Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldessai and the locals have demanded immediate stoppage of ongoing renovation work of government primary school at Cotarli on account of poor quality of construction work.
After inspecting the ongoing renovation work with the villagers, Phaldessai said that the students would face danger if the work is permitted to continue without the desired modifications.
Claiming that crushed basalt stones powder is used excessively in place of sand, Phaldessai said that such a use would severely affect the structural ability of the building.
Phaldessai said that the crushed basalt stone powder does not have the desired strength and cannot bond well with the cement.
He further said that the contractor is plastering only the existing walls with the crushed stone powder without removing or chipping off the existing plaster. “This will lead to peeling off the freshly laid plaster in no time,” Phaldessai said.
The former MLA said that changing the roof with metal structure without replacing the existing walls, would lead to its collapse and endanger the students.
The school was constructed some 35 years ago and the placement of metal structure as the roof top in place of existing wooden rafters and Mangalore tiles would prove costly, claimed Phaldessai. The contractor should have at least put sufficient concrete columns before going ahead with renovation work of the school premises with metal structure.
Phaldessai also pointed out the faulty construction of the compound wall without following the normal practice of construction of columns after every four or five metres.
Given the fact that the school has an enrolment of over 75 students, Phaldessai and the villagers submitted a memorandum to the GSIDC for immediate stoppage of the renovation work in the best interest of the safety of the students.
