An alarm was raised about a potential public safety hazard after photos appeared of a possible crack in a Namma metro pillar in Kengeri-Challaghatta Metro section off NICE Road. Incidentally the metro rail line is under construction and is set to start operation only by February 2021.
The issue came to fore after a metal structure of a viaduct resting on a pillar near the Rajarajeshwari Hospital on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway became exposed.
BL Yeshwanth Chavan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) did not confirm if this was an error on part of the contractor.
“This is not a crack. Our experts are looking into the issue and we will take corrective action and ensure that this does not cause any harm to the public,” Chavan told TNM.
An MN Srihari, an independent construction and road traffic expert said this appears to be a non-issue.
“Whenever there is a situation where there is doubt over the stability of the structure, we have to do an oscillation test. During normal train movement a lot of vibrations will take place due to its speed, so we have to ensure that this structure can sustain that,” he said. However, he insisted the present issue is not of much significance.
It may be recalled that the metro operations were shut for four days in the last week of 2018 due to cracks (honeycomb formation in concrete) in the metro pillar structure near Trinity Metro Station. Even the slider (ramp on which tracks are laid) was found to be dislocated.
Incidentally the same spot had developed cracks in 2012 just a year after the Byappanahalli to MG Road route became functional.
Earlier in February, 2018 officials had discovered a crack near the crossover section of the RV Road and Yelachenahalli line at Yelachenahalli station.