Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety D.K. Singh, who commenced his four-day safety inspection of Namma Metro Reach 1 on Wednesday, visited five of the six metro stations along the reach — between M G Road and S.V. Road Stations — to assess whether sufficient provisions had been made for handling passenger traffic.
Some issues
Mr. Singh told presspersons at S.V. Road Station that there were no issues with the construction (of the stations) but some improvement was needed on the operations front. He did not elaborate on the shortcomings.
The inspection, being conducted under the Bangalore Metro Railway (Opening of Public Carriage for Passenger) Rules 2011, is to study whether Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has provided easy access to the stations. He is also examining whether adequate fire protection and disaster management measures are in place.
Exhaustive inspection
Mr. Singh's inspection, which began at the M.G. Road Station, lasted till S.V. Road. He will inspect the viaduct, including pillars and foundations, from Thursday to ascertain the structure's load-bearing capacity. He would also check out the track structure, dimension, signalling, and so on. Over the next two days, he will study the control rooms, communication system, security system, the rolling stock (that is, the metro trains), amenities in coaches, and speed test. During the course of safety inspection, the Commissioner can direct BMRCL authorities to dismantle any structure if he finds them unsafe or rectify certain deviations or mistakes.
If he is satisfied, he will recommend to the Ministry of Railways that Namma Metro may be opened for public carriage.
Progress
Meanwhile, civil works on other reaches of Namma Metro, including the underground stretches, are progressing. Tunnel boring machine (TBM) Helen has burrowed over 300 metres since June. The other TBM, Margarita, has advanced 50 metres.
At the east ramp for the underground section near the Parade Grounds, off Cubbon Road, the base slab and 90 per cent of wall up to the “Null Point” are completed. Almost all the soldier/ scent piles have been constructed and 22 per cent of excavation is also complete.
New chairperson
Meanwhile, BMRCL now has a new chairperson, Sudhir Krishna, a Karnataka cadre Indian Administrative Service Officer, after Navin Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, was transferred to the Ministry of Rural Development.
Mr. Krishna takes over this post by virtue of his position as BMRCL is a joint venture between the Central and State Governments. Prior to this he was Chairperson of Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority, and Principal Secretary, Public Works Department.
