Body formed to address construction woes

CHENNAI: As many as 200 civil engineers got together to establish Chennai Civil Engineers Association (CCEA) at a hotel here on Sunday. The association, affiliated to Federation of All Civil Engineers Associations of Tamil Nadu, has proposed to address issues like bringing down the prices of construction materials and to address safety issues.K Venkatachalam, president of the newly formed association, stated that civil engineers exchanging ideas with each other will benefit the association and also the individuals. “By exchanging ideas, civil engineers can make a profit of `100 crore instead of `10 crore,” he said.He added that the formation of the association will bring to an end the lack of a proper demo construction practice in the city.He further assured that together they can bring down the prices of construction materials like sand.R Sivalingam, state secretary of All Civil Engineers Association of Tamilnadu, said that the civil engineers, who usually are victims in safety issues, will benefit because of such associations.“When there is any negligence in the construction site which leads to the death of a labourer, it is the civil engineer who is accused at first. With the help of this association, we can fight together in such situations,” he said.G Nethaji pledged himself as the secretary of CCEA, while E Sathyaseelan took charge as the treasurer.Chandramouli, state assistant president of All Civil Engineers Association of Tamil Nadu, pledged as the active executive committee members of the newly formed association.Several civil engineers from all over the state took part in the event.