Facing flak, BMRCL to employ quality experts
The Metro currently has daily ridership of 4 lakh.
Bengaluru: BMRCL has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the last few months. Leaking stations during rain, honeycomb formation on concrete and damage to bearings and false ceiling collapse among other things in Phase 1 and doubts over its ability to complete Metro Phase 2 within deadline have dogged the Metro construction works.
To overcome these issues and to ensure quality in its works, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation has roped in three independent quality monitoring consultants. Infra Support Engineering Consultants will be responsible for monitoring quality on the elevated corridor from Byappanahalli to Whitefield, Mysuru Road to Kengeri, Hessaraghatta Cross to BIEC and Puttenahalli Cross to Anjanapura Township. While K&J Projects will monitor works on Bommasandra to HSR Layout corridor, Ayoleeza Consultants will oversee works for HSR Layout to RV Road and Gottigere to Swagath Road Cross sections.
A BMRCL official said, “The Metro work in different phases is running behind schedule by two to three years. The Mysuru Road and Kanakapura Road extensions will be up and running by only 2021. Though the work on these two extensions was supposed to be completed soon, it has slowed down. These firms will conduct site inspections, do quality checks and monitor the progress of works.”
The second phase covers 118 km, which includes four extensions of Phase I and two new lines – the 19-km Outer Ring Road stretch from the Central Silk Board junction to K.R. Puram (Phase II-A) and the 30-km stretch from Nagawara to the Kempegowda International Airport (Phase II-B). When completed, Phase II is expected to have a daily ridership of 20 lakh people. The Metro currently has a daily ridership of 4 lakh.