A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to appoint a high-level team of technical experts from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and IIT Madras to inspect and report on the alleged structural flaws in the ongoing construction of the Vyttila flyover.
The petition filed by Vyttila Junction Vikasana Janakiya Samiti alleged that cracks had developed due to improper supervision. The cracks that appeared below the girder of the first and second pier caps starting from the southern end of the flyover on its western side are dangerous, it said.
When the petition came up for hearing, K.V. Manoj Kumar, government pleader, submitted that three technical experts had inspected and assessed the stability of the flyover, and that they had not noticed any defect on the structure. He further said that the cracks had developed only on the temporary support pedestals, which would be removed on completion of the integral beam and deck slabs. They are not structural parts of the flyover, nor can the cracks be called structural defects, he added.
The girder beams are cast on the ground and placed over the temporary pedestals using cranes. After placing the girders, an integral beam is cast over the pier caps connecting the girders on either side so as to transfer the load from the girders directly to the pier caps. Hence, the pedestals are not load bearing, and they could be removed on completion of the deck slabs. During the launch of the girders, there may be unbalanced load, and the impact is felt due to level differences between the girder ends in the middle of the adjacent piers. Owing to this, some pedestals were seen cracked, and they are not structural defects, the pleader informed the court.
Dismissing the petition, the court said since expert agencies had assessed the structure and found no defects on it, the court could not intervene in the matter. Besides, it was for the State government and the PWD to consider engaging an agency to inspect the flyover.
