The PV Narasimha Rao Expressway in Hyderabad, that connects the city to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), has developed cracks following the heavy downpour that lashed the city, prompting officials to take action.
Photographs of the cracks, which reportedly developed on pillar number 20, were widely shared on social media by several users including prominent personalities like film director Kona Venkat.
"Damaged condition of the PVNR expressway near Pillar No : 20 , please take care before it’s too late," Venkat tweeted.
Damaged condition of the PVNR expressway near Pillar No : 20 , please take care before it’s too late @GHMCOnline @KTRTRS
— kona venkat (@konavenkat99) September 26, 2019
Source: Facebook friend pic.twitter.com/1Disn6bMRy
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) acted on Thursday, sending a team of engineers to the spot. Stating that repair work and necessary patchwork would be carried out in the night, officials said that there was no reason to panic and said that the structure was still sturdy.
"There is sufficient gap between box girders, but there isn't enough gap between the railings, which resulted in the cracks. Maintenance of expansion joints is the need of the hour. Keeping in mind the height, we cannot ignore the cracks as chunks of pillar might fall and be a threat to commuters below," vice-president of Structural Engineers Congress S P Anchuri, told the Times of India. The crack on the flyover is a cause of concern, as the city is still reeling from the death of a 24-year-old woman earlier this week in an incident at a metro station. Mounika was taking shelter from the rain at the pedestrian zone under the Ameerpet metro station, when a chunk of mortar from the station fell on her.
Larsen and Toubro (L&T), the company which constructed the Hyderabad Metro projects, has agreed to pay Rs 20 lakh as compensation to the victim’s family. The company also said it would provide another Rs 15 lakh from an insurance company and job to a family member.
A probe is underway into the incident, by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS).
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