Engineering Bill essential to maintain quality in the sector: E. Sreedharan

E. Sreedharan advocates for an Engineering Bill to enhance quality and integrity in the engineering sector in India.

Technocrat and former principal advisor to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) E. Sreedharan has stressed the need to draft an Engineering Bill in the country to improve quality and integrity in the engineering sector.

Furthermore, he sought mandatory accreditation for structural and civil engineers while addressing the 39th national conference of The Institution of Engineers (India) as the chief guest. He justified his demand by saying that the profession had lost its charm over the years, mainly on account of erosion of work culture and delay in completing projects.

“Punctuality and adherence to deadlines are cardinal to the profession,” he said, referring to the timely completion of the 760-km Konkan Railway, built through mountainous terrain with 92 tunnels and nearly 2,000 major and minor bridges. He added that though the country was making significant progress in infrastructure development, civil engineers were not heading technical positions, including at the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). He also expressed concern over the marginalisation of experienced civil engineers in Kerala, saying that they were often required to work under ‘junior’ IAS officers.

He cited that cracks that developed a few years ago on the Palarivattom flyover as an example of poor planning and design flaws, following which the structure had to be rebuilt.

In his online address, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, emphasised the need for ongoing research into new technologies, pre-casting, and indigenisation to advance the construction sector and reduce costs. “For instance, adding plastic and rubber in the right proportion can improve the quality of road tarring, besides lessening dependence on imported bitumen, while even sewage water can be recycled for use in the construction sector.Civil engineers must adopt a futuristic vision,” he said.

Mr. Gadkari added that innovations like flash charging of buses had helped reduce transportation cost, while also lowering pollution.

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) chairman Prof. T.G. Sitaram exhorted civil engineers to be resilient and responsive to future needs. Anil Joseph, chairman of Cities and Villages Development Bank (CVDB) and the Institute of Engineers (India), presided over the event.