Bengaluru: Metro Rail Services between MG Road and Baiyappanahalli were delayed for a second day Thursday morning, causing more panic among commuters, who heaved a sigh of relief as they finally returned to normal by noon.
With the BMRCL’s engineers working hard to fix the faults in the Metro structure , train services on the Purple Line from Mysore Road to Baiyappanahalli were back to normal by Thursday noon.
"We are raising a steel platform to take corrective action and carry out tests on the concrete beam of a pillar at the Trinity station, where the officials during inspection discovered a honeycomb structure. The affected portion is very small and will not affect the overall safety of the Metro structure. So on Thursday, only services between MG Road and Baiyappanahalli were delayed, but returned to normal by noon," said a senior BMRCL official.
BMRCL sources say it is in constant touch with the Delhi Metro authorities, Indian Institute of Science and railway experts to find the best solution to the structural problem.
The contract for the Baiyappanahalli-MG Road stretch (Reach 1, Phase 1) was awarded to Navayuga Engineering Co. Ltd in 2006 and work began in April 2007. While the total cost of the tender was Rs 138.55 crore, curiously, the liability period for the concessionaire was just two years. The BMRCL has to therefore now bear the entire cost of the repair work.
Going by civil engineers, honeycombing is a fairly common problem in buildings and flyovers. “People are not aware of this, but it is a part and parcel of a civil engineer’s daily routine to check for such faults,” they reveal.
But Bengalureans continue to be alarmed at the situation as they were given to understand that the Metro Rail structure had been planned and built for the next 100 years. Adding to their panic a message on social media warned people not to use the Metro services as a supporting pillar of the track on MG Road had become twisted. However, denying the rumour strongly, the BMRCL said it had provided additional support to the affected pillar and would provide more to keep it safe.
But hardly convinced, Mr Purushotham P, advocate and urban expert says it is unfortunate that the BMRCL officials are being so casual about the issue, saying only a small portion of the Metro structure is involved and its overall safety is not at risk. “ Lakhs of people commute every day on the Metro and such developments may cost many their lives. The BMRCL must carry out regular inspections to maintain the Metro structure in good condition," he emphasised.
