The Chennai Corporation Council has asked Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to share its data on the structural condition of heritage buildings near the path of the Metro Rail project.
According to officials of Chennai Corporation, CMRL has been delaying the submission of the monthly report based on compilation of such data for the past 11 months. Councillors reiterated the need for the report being shared with Chennai Corporation on a monthly basis so that the impact of the vibrations on heritage buildings could be assessed.
Responding to a question by deputy mayor P. Benjamin on Wednesday, Mayor Saidai Duraisamy said CMRL was “yet to submit a safety report on heritage buildings such as Ripon Buildings.”
“We have requested the CMRL to share the data. We will wait,” said the Mayor.
The data collected every day by CMRL from structures such as Ripon Buildings and Victoria Public Hall continues to be a closely guarded secret even after repeated reminders by the civic body.
“They collect data on a daily basis. Why can’t they share it with us? The safety report would help us take measures to ensure that Ripon Buildings is structurally safe,” said a councillor.
CMRL officials claimed that they collected data from eight different devices that have been installed on the premises of Ripon Buildings. CMRL employees visit the premises regularly on a daily basis to collect this data.
The equipment used to assess conditions, CMRL officials said, include ground settlement meter, rod extension meter, inclinometer, building settlement marker, tilt meter, crack meter, optical target and tape extension meter.
CMRL officials reiterated they were “committed to protection of heritage buildings.” CMRL workers have been assessing technical parameters meticulously and accordingly, altering the speed of machinery used in the course of operations on the premises of Ripon Buildings.
The data to be shared by CMRL will help Chennai Corporation assess the safety of its heritage buildings by measuring minute movement across surface cracks and joints, vertical settlement, soil properties and small changes from horizontal level.
