A team from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has been roped in by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) to oversee all aspects related to safety at the construction sites of three of its upcoming lines. The team, which began work on Wednesday, March 8, has been asked to hand over its report in 75 days, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
The Outer Ring Road Line (KR Puram to Silk Board), the Airport Line (KR Puram to KIA) and the underground corridor from Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara, which are under construction, will be inspected by the three-member team. This appears to have been prompted by the January 10 accident in which a woman and her son were killed when a Metro pillar under construction fell on them. Minor accidents involving BMRCL's barricades and sinkholes too occurred last month.
The team members include JM Chandra Kishen, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering; Lakshminarayana Rao, Associate Professor, Centre for Sustainable Technologies and Ramesh Babu Narayanappa, who worked previously with the Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning.
Giving more details, Prof Kishen said, “We will examine all the safety aspects in place at Metro construction sites, including its barricading. We will also study the guidelines provided and check if contractors are adhering to them. The traffic scene at the sites and the junctions nearby would also be examined in detail.”
The team will identify the lapses that need to be set right and will recommend additional safety measures if required for the overall safety of the public, he added. “We plan to start actual field work shortly,” he said.
