Bengaluru: The BMRCL’s claim that it had to shift Cantonment Metro station as it had to dig a 30-metre deep tunnel, no longer holds water as circular issued by the Railways (dated September 29, 2009) refutes such a requirement.
Activist and Rail expert Sanjeev V. Dyamannavar, who accessed the document from Railway Ministry, revealed it is only 15 metres. An per an excerpt of the document, "Where there is no proposal by Railways to undertake any underground infrastructure work in the future, such depth shall be limited to 15 meters, top of the proposed metro." A few weeks ago BMRCL MD Pradeep Singh Kharola had in a press conference said that the Cantonment Metro station had to shifted from its original location on Cantonment Railway station because they would have to maintain 30 meter depth while tunneling.
The altered location at Bamboo bazaar would not require such deep tunneling will be less of a technical challenge, Kharola had said.
The other important point in the circular is that,"Where any UG structure is planned by Railway, no crossing shall be allowed up to a depth of 30 metres, top of the metro structure from the ground level."
Commenting on the same, Dyamannavar said, “BMRCL is providing false information and misleading the public, when there is no such requirement by railways. If SWR was planning something underground, only then would this rule apply at Cantonment.
Railways should have also clarified on the depth apart from stating that there was no such circular.” When DC tried to reach MD Kharola for comments, he did not receive calls. While BMRCL is firm on its plan to change the alignment, the opposition towards such a move is growing.
