Hyderabad: Responding to a news report published in Deccan Chronicle which pointed to the compromise in quality of its construction, the Hyderabad Metro Rail authorities have rectified damaged portions, including non-structural cracks, surface plaster peel-offs, concrete chip-offs, loose concrete pieces and loose coping stones at 10 metro stations.
The finding reported in DC immediately after the accident at Ameerpet metro station were proved to be completely true after an inspection team formed by L&T investigated. Following the incident in which G. Mounika lost her life when a sharp edge of a plaster piece fell on her head from a height of nine meters on September 22, DC carried out a detailed investigation and published our findings that the quality of metro rail station structure, barring the main deck on which the train travels, were constructed with a basic reinforced cement concrete (RCC).
Responding to the DC report, K.T. Rama Rao, municipal administration and urban development minister, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation had ordered an enquiry to check the quality of the metro rail structure. The CMRS asked for a public hearing on the issue on October 3.
The quality checks made by six special engineering teams till date has rectified non-structural cracks, surface plaster peel-offs, concrete chip-offs, loose concrete pieces and loose coping stones at metro stations at Balanagar, Parade Grounds, Rasoolpura, Hitec City, Gandhi Bhavan, LB Nagar, Osmania medical college, New market, and Tarnaka. N. V. S. Reddy, managing director, HMRL, said, “As directed by MA&UD minister K. T. Rama Rao, I am closely monitoring identification and rectification of repair works of all metro stations and other structures. L&T formed six special engineering teams equipped with boom lifts, floodlights, etc.” Explaining that all parts of station areas and other structures are being micro-examined, Mr Reddy said, “While overall position of the structures was found to be safe and satisfactory by experienced engineering teams, not taking chances, even minute non-structural cracks are being rectified.” On September 23, DC had published a report, ‘Government compromised on metro rail safety norms’, where we found that quality emphasis was laid only on upper decks where metro rails run, but quality of other areas were compromised upon.
