Fully utilize local resources in major construction projects

A video on highly factual presentation by Eng. ADS Gunawardena to the President, for the utilization of local expertise in major construction projects, is circulating in the electronic media today. In a somewhat emotional manner, he compares the financial costs involved and the savings that could be incurred when such projects utilize the expertise and physical resources available with the local organizations, particularly in the state sector.

Listening to the presentation, it takes me back to the initial stages of the Mahaweli Project, in the early 1970s. In Stage 1 of the Mahaweli project, State Engineering Corporation was appointed the sub-contractors to the main contractor, Ingra of Yugoslavia. Undisputedly the SEC got the job due to the effort of Chairman Dr. Kulasinghe. Components of the job for the SEC were (1) Barrage at Polgolla (2) Power house at Ukuwela and the draining of Dun Oya beyond the power house, while Ingra did the tunnel. At the beginning of the project, the plant and machinery used were the ones the SEC had from past projects. They initially had to work even with age-old cable cranes and excavators and bulldozers. The new plant and machinery arrived only during the construction stage.. Even when the great engineer Dr. K was compelled to leave the SEC unceremoniously, the project moved on due to the values instilled by him in the workforce. In facing the task, the SEC team worked 24/7 under very difficult conditions, including the big scarcity of food in the country in the 1970s. It was mainly due to the can-do attitude of the workforce, from Engineer to the site supervisor and the skilled workers. It may be worthy to note that at the time there were no flashy cars or expensive four-wheel drive vehicles available, even to the most senior engineer in charge of the project.

When completed, definitely a large sum of money, in scarce foreign exchange, was saved in comparison, if the project was done by a foreign contractor. Further, the experience gained by the local staff in doing such a complex job was immense. Following Polgolla, the next stage of the Mahaweli, Bowatenna dam was also built by the local organization SD & CC.

It is sad that the SEC has now become unheard organization, although it still has top architectural and engineering design arms and the expertise and the logistics in prestressed concrete technology. I believe that the resources of SD & CC are also not fully utilised at present. It will be timely if the President could give directions to fully use the underutilized resources of state organizations, in the present and future major development projects.

GAMINI RANASINGHE
Chartered Engineer
Email: gamini_r@hotmail.com