Rainwater seeps thru' roof, weeks after work completes

Believe it or not, rainwater trickles down from the roofs of different sections of Saidpur Railway Workshop in the district, only two months after completion of a massive modernisation project in the country's largest railway workshop.

The situation, especially during the rains, is causing damage to valuable machinery, hampering work, and even posing threat of electrocution to workers.

The government in 2011 launched the Tk 156 crore 'Saidpur Railway Workshop Modernization Project' under four packages as the old workshop, established in 1870 during the British era, was facing production debacle, workshop sources said.

One of four packages comprised repair and development of 28 shops inside the workshop like heavy repair shop, general overhauling shop, electric shop, wagon shop, welding shop, paint shop, blacksmith shop and so on and also setting up heavy water pumps, said sources.

Dhaka-based construction firm Toma Construction and Company got the work of the package with estimated cost of Tk 42 crore that includes replacing of old roofs and construction of floors.

Earlier scheduled to for June of 2014, the work was finally complete and handed over to the authority on June 25 this year.

During a recent visit by reporters of different national dailies, it was found that rainwater trickled down the newly built roofs on machinery and electric wiring as the roofs developed small holes due to rusting.

As per schedule it was obligatory to use high quality zinc aluminium sheets in roofs but ordinary MS sheets were used instead, said an engineer of the rail workshop on condition of anonymity.

"Often we have to stop our work as different machines get electrified due to falling of rainwater from roofs," said Golam Mostofa, a first grade worker of welding shop.

On August 13, worker Abdul Jalil was hospitalised with injuries as he fell down while climbing on the roof for a temporary repair in traditional way to stop dripping of rainwater, workers said.

Dijoy Kumar Singha, in charge of heavy repairing shop, said, "There are 742 kinds of small and big machines in the workshops but they will be gradually damaged if exposed to water for long."

Nur Ahmed Hossain, divisional superintendent of Saidpur Railway Workshop, said he has brought the matter to the notice of his higher authorities for action on an urgent basis.