The Public Works Department (PWD) is planning to begin random field inspections using modern testing devices to raise construction quality and ensure longer lasting infrastructure. Engineers will use specialised equipment to measure factors such as bitumen layer thickness, concrete strength, cutting depth and base layer filling during ongoing works.
PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said the step will tighten supervision by enabling engineers to carry out tests directly at project locations. The department will also introduce block cutter machines to collect road samples and identify construction faults at an early stage, improving transparency and accountability.
Initially, the focus will remain on road inspections, especially evaluating bitumen quality. The equipment is expected to be procured in the coming weeks, after which testing will start on roads currently being repaired or built. A government report shows that 788 km of PWD roads out of the total 1,404 km network are scheduled for redevelopment, with private firms undertaking the work through open tenders.
