Bengaluru: The buildings that developed cracks in Balepet area of Chickpet due to Metro Rail tunneling work may have to be demolished in the coming days, highly placed sources in Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd told Deccan Chronicle.
Kaveri Tunnel Boring Machine was chugging under Chickpet when a building at Balepet developed a six-inch crack on Wednesday. The occupants were immediately evacuated and moved to a nearby lodge. BMRCL authorities stopped the tunneling work and took up grouting work to stabilise the buildings.
A BMRCL official said, “If our assessment proves that the building could collapse because of tunneling vibrations then we might have to demolish the structure. The crack is severe and we cannot take risks as human lives are involved.”
“Either the BMRCL and the contractor, or a third party will pay the compensation for the affected people. These issues will be worked out before taking a final decision,” the official added. The official said, “We had closed all the wells in the area before taking up the underground work. Our contractors were not allowed to enter many house during the survey and now after the crack appeared, we went inside the building and saw a well, which could have triggered the cracks.”
But the building owners have not been alerted by the BMRCL yet. Mr Ashwath Narayan, who was shifted out of the building on Wednesday, said, “There seems to be no progress in the works. They have brought some three cement mixers to our neighbourhood and that is it. BMRCL officials told us that the TBM will start working again only after Monday or Tuesday. It could take at least another 10 days to secure the place.”
BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said, “Our engineers are assessing the situation and they will survey the area before moving ahead. Kaveri TBM has already completed 500 metres of tunneling, and only another 200 metre is left to reach Majestic. It will take at least a month to complete the distance.”
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