Lab tests expose quality lapse in road work in Gurgaon, contractor faces action

Gurgaon: A road project undertaken by MCG in Ardee City has come under scrutiny after laboratory tests commissioned by residents indicated that the interlocking paver block tiles used were weaker than the strength specified in the tender. The issue was also escalated to the state govt's grievance portal, CM Window, by the Ardee City's residents' welfare association (RWA).Following the findings, MCG issued a notice to the contractor directing that the tiles already laid be dismantled and replaced with tiles that meet the approved specifications. Officials warned that failure to comply could lead to cancellation of the contract."A notice has been issued to the contractor. Payment will be made only after the work is completed according to the specifications mentioned in the tender," an MCG official said, adding that no payment has been released to the contractor so far. The notice states that if the substandard tiles are not removed and replaced within 10 days in accordance with tender conditions, the contract may be cancelled and proceedings for blacklisting the agency initiated.According to the work order issued on Feb 27, 2025, the project, estimated at Rs 1.7 crore, was to be completed within six months. The contractor was required to lay 100 mm-thick ISI-marked interlocking concrete paver blocks with an M50-grade cement design mix over a bed of fine sand.However, photographs from the D14 lane of Ardee City show blocks embossed with ‘M35', indicating a lower grade than the M50 specified in the contract. Residents said they sent samples to a private ISO-certified laboratory in Delhi for testing. The compressive strength readings of the samples were 29.7, 28.1, 32.2, 15.9, 24.2, 27.8, 24.6 and 24.7 megapascals (MPa), with an average of 25.9 MPa. By comparison, M50 concrete typically requires compressive strength of about 50 MPa. "The contractor laid 8,523 sq metres of road using substandard tiles out of the 17,500 sq metres assigned. Nearly half the work was completed with M35 tiles, after which we raised complaints following the lab test results," said a resident.