NACC Bueng Kan Inspects the Collapse of the Huai Dang Concrete Road in Ban Pong Hai
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Office in Bueng Kan Province has conducted a field inspection of the construction project for the steel-reinforced concrete road along the lower portion of Huai Dang in Moo 1, Ban Pong Hai, Pong Hai Sub-district, Seka District, Bueng Kan Province, following reports of the road collapsing and breaking in half, causing great inconvenience to the villagers who are unable to travel.
Nannapat Seubsampan, Director of the NACC Office in Bueng Kan Province, delegated the head of the anti-corruption operations group, along with officials from the NACC provincial office, to investigate the construction project of the steel-reinforced concrete road along the lower portion of Huai Dang in Moo 1, Pong Hai Sub-district, Seka District, Bueng Kan Province. This followed social media news reports alleging that "the road broke, the concrete road was built without steel reinforcement, completed at the end of the year 2021 under the supervision of Pong Hai Sub-district Municipality, resulting in a waste of budget."
From the field inspection by the NACC provincial office officials, it was confirmed that the construction project was indeed under the jurisdiction of the Pong Hai Sub-district Municipality as reported. The condition of the road resembled a geological disaster, cleaved with deep holes along its course. Upon reviewing the project's contract, the officials found that it involved the approval of the remaining budget from the fiscal year 2019's discretionary grants, amounting to 3.52 million baht for 14 projects, of which this collapsed road was part of a project with a budget of 495,000 baht.
Upon inspection, core sampling of the road at the collapse site was conducted to determine the actual problems. It was found that the concrete road did have a 4-millimeter thick steel reinforcement layer underneath the concrete layer. However, the reinforcement was significantly lower than the surface layer, compromising the construction's adherence to the proper form and standards. On this issue, the NACC office in Bueng Kan Province will request additional documents to carry out a detailed investigation.
Regarding the issue of the road's collapse that has prevented the local population from using it for transportation, reports indicate that the recent period has been the rainy season, with high volumes of rainfall flowing over the road, leading to erosion of the soil layer beneath the road surface and subsequent collapse. The lack of a steel frame to support the structure, combined with the absence of a soil layer to bear the weight of the concrete surface, caused the concrete road to sag and break down in the manner observed.
As an immediate measure, the NACC officials in Bueng Kan Province have recommended to the Pong Hai Sub-district Municipality to expedite the road repair to restore it to condition, with a deadline set for completion within three days, and to conduct a survey of problems of this nature in the project to prevent similar incidents in the future.
