Serious lapses detected in maintenance of strategically important Leh air force station

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 19: Notwithstanding much emphasis on strengthening of defence infrastructure along the borders with China, serious lapses have been detected in the maintenance of strategically important Air Force Station at Leh, which is otherwise backbone of the entire region for operations and winter stocking for the defence forces.
These lapses have been pointed out by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which is the supreme audit institution of the country, in its latest report.
As per the laid down procedure, the Competent Financial Authority is required to convene a Board to examine the various features of the new work proposals and any work should be sanctioned within 28 weeks from the date of completion of the Board proceeding.
However, during audit scrutiny in the month of February last year, the CAG noticed that Ministry of Defence took 45 weeks in according Administrative Approval to the resurfacing of runway of Leh Air Force Station despite being aware of fact that Air Force Station Leh was last resurfaced in 1990.
“The inordinate delay in according Administrative Approval was notwithstanding the fact that this is the highest operational airfield in the world and the land routes to the region are blocked during winter months. Moreover, the runway forms the backbone for the entire region for operations, winter stocking and air maintenance besides being used by civil aircrafts”, the CAG said.
Not only in according Administrative Approval, the CAG has also found lapses in executing of the resurfacing work at this strategically important airbase. The work on runway resurfacing was sanctioned by the Ministry of Defence in March 2009 at an estimated cost of Rs 29.39 crore with three working seasons (April-May to September-October in a year) as probable date of completion.
Subsequently, change in design was sought and a contract for execution of the work was accepted in March 2010 by the Chief Engineer Air Force at a cost of Rs 33.59 crore after obtaining revised sanction for Rs 34.45 crore. The work was completed in October 2011 at a cost of Rs 36.12 crore.
However, after the completion of the work it was noticed by the Air Force Station Leh authorities that the runway suffered continuous degradation due to surface wear and tear, the CAG said, adding thereafter temporary repairs were carried out in March 2012 by the contractor at no extra cost and on the completion of the repair work, the runway surface was again checked by the users in April 2012 after landings of a few fixed wing aircrafts.
Shockingly, it was found that the runway had suffered abrasions to surface due to tyre friction and the runway was adjudged unfit for fighter operations by the users, the CAG said, adding the affected portion of the runway was, later, repaired by the contractor in September 2012 within the defect liability period.
“However, degradations were noticed again in December 2012 and joint inspection at station level carried out in January 2013 in association with General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) revealed that to enhance the life of runway, additional cost of Rs 3.22 crore would be required for temporary restoration and Rs 10.21 crore for permanent measures”, the CAG said.
In response to audit query in February 2013 regarding reasons for the defective work, Chief Engineer stated that the surface was damaged due to unconventional method under which salt and other chemicals were used by GREF for removal of accumulated snow from the surface.
“The reply given by the Chief Engineer was not acceptable since the resurfaced runway at the station had shown degradation of surface immediately after completion of resurfacing work and subsequent change in the design involving an additional expenditure of Rs 5.06 crore also didn’t prove effective”, the CAG observed.
As per operational works procedure and directive on management of operational works issued by the Air Headquarters in June 1999, the Commander in the operational area is competent to order execution of operational work warranted by military station. As the existing runway at Leh was prone to flash floods due to melting of snow during summer months, the runway was not fit for fighter operations.
Accordingly, in July 2006, a Board of Officers recommended provision of an airfield drainage system at the earliest for the prevention of flash floods in view of the operational and strategic importance of this airfield. Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command invoked operational works procedure in September 2006 and sanctioned Rs 4.45 crore for a drainage system to arrest this problem.
Chief Engineer Air Force Udhampur concluded a contract in April 2007 at a total cost of Rs 3.27 crore with April 2008 as probable date of completion. However, the contractor didn’t undertake the work with due diligence and despite extension of the probable date of completion up to September 2010, the work had progressed up to 43% only till July 2010, the CAG said.
Due to cloud burst and flash floods on the night of August 5-6, 2010, the runway was covered with mud and stones and the under construction portion of airfield drainage was also partially damaged. An amount of Rs 1.43 crore had been paid to the contractor till then and the department initiated a case for foreclosing the work as the contractor was reluctant to proceed with the work.
The CAG during audit in February 2013 observed that the non-completion of the operational work even after a lapse of six years of sanction had defeated the very purpose of sanctioning the work. However, the Chief Engineer Air Force Udhampur stated that due to flash floods the work already executed was partly damaged and it required a change in design under the original contract. Hence the work could not be completed within the original probable date of completion.
“The fact remains that the air field drainage system which was conceived as an operational necessity in September 2006 was yet to come up at station till March 2013”, the CAG said.

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