Assembly to sport lighter dome

SHILLONG, Oct 31: The construction of the new Meghalaya Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang, wearing a dome much lighter than the one that collapsed in May, is likely to be completed in six months.
The High-Powered Committee (HPC) met here on Monday and discussed the dome after the consultant gave a presentation on four different designs.
Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh told reporters later that the second option has been selected and the structural part of the new dome will be of still rims, partly with GRC materials and profile pre-coated GI sheets.
The weight of the dome that collapsed was about 3,000 tonnes. The new dome would be between 250 and 300 tonnes.
Lyngdoh said the consultant has been asked to submit the drawings within 45 days. This design will be vetted by IIT Roorkee before IIT Guwahati has the final say.
The government did not appoint any project management consultant and entrusted the project to the PWD.
The HPC also discussed the action taken on the findings of an IIT Guwahati team that probed the dome collapse. The team attributed the mishap to the lack of coordination among the contractor, consultant and the PMC (PWD). Asserting that no additional cost would be involved in the reconstruction of the dome, Lyngdoh said the contractor and the consultant have replied to a show-cause notice. An explanation was also sought from the PWD, whose secretary in turn asked the chief engineer of PWD (Buildings) to clarify.
The Speaker also said the process of clearing the debris from the building would be completed by November.