Public utilities will not be affected by Metro project

Public utilities will not be affected by Metro project
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: A ‘walk survey’ was recently conducted on the roads where metro would pass to access the cost of relocating the installations of civic bodies.

The Bangalore Mass Rapid Transit Limited’s (BMRTL) has now estimated the cost to be Rs. 12 crore.

BMRTL officials have assured the civic bodies that they would shift the utilities with support from the engineers in the respective agencies and also pay 10 percent compensation for their supervising works.

BMRTL Managing Director K N Srivastava said, ‘‘We have identified cables of both public and private companies through the 36 km stretch. The water and sewer pipes will not be affected. From Magadi Road to the KSCA Stadium our tracks will be laid 20 metres below ground level. BWSSB pipes are only two meters below the road.’’

But there are 35 locations up to Byappnahalli where there is no information about underground pipes and the BMRTL will have to get going before the monsoon begins.

They have not yet covered these locations, as civic bodies do not have maps denoting the presence of public utilities in these areas.

‘‘But we will cut 1.5 metre deep diagonal trenches to identify the presence of cables. This would be done in a month’s time. The monsoon will be a problem for us and we hope to work under special enclosures at work sites,’’ Srivastava said.

However, BSNL will be shifting their utilities on their own and would require BMRTL to deposit the entire amount before Metro operations.

BSNL General Manager-Installation Shanmugha Sundaram said, ‘‘We will begin shifting a month in advance, provided BMRTL gives us a concrete plan of the Metro’s alignment. There will not be a problem if we shift optic cables. We only have to manage the system cables,’’ he said.

BSNL claims to have standby systems to cater to citizens in case of trouble.

BMRTL also assures that the Bangalore City Corporation’s lamp-posts and storm water drains will not be affected.

BMRTL Chief Engineer Keshav Prakash said, ‘‘The metro girders will have lamps on them, so street lighting will be sorted. We have spoken to the commissioner, but we are yet to give them a concrete suggestion. The storm water drains will run perpendicular to our girder construction and we will not touch them.’’