Local people fret as Metro work slows down

Local people fret as Metro work slows down

Anil Kumar Sastry
Residents apprehensive whether BMRCL will complete the civil works on Reach 1 as per schedule
‘Owners of property on CMH Road were paid a pittance as compensation’

BMRCL Managing Director N. Sivasailam is confident of completing the work on time

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G. P.

Hindrance: Work on the Metro has been proceeding at a snail’s pace on CMH Road in Bangalore.
BANGALORE: Barricades were placed on CMH Road from its junction with Old Madras Road some eight months back for the Namma Metro work and residents of the area wonder whether the barricades will remain there for ever.

Despite the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., (BMRCL) replacing the contractor in February this year citing delay in construction of the viaduct on Reach 1, the work appears not to have picked up. Local people are apprehensive whether BMRCL will be able to complete the civil works of the Metro on Reach 1 (between Byappanahalli and the Cricket Stadium) by December 2010, as per its revised schedule.

Parking area
As work was not taken up for months together in this locality, the barricaded area on CMH Road has become a free parking lot for many while two and four-wheeler users navigate narrow strips of the road on either side of the barricade with great difficulty. Irshadulla, who was selling granite and marble and ceded one of his two properties for the Metro, said except placing the barricades some eight months ago, no work has been done in the area.

Allabaksh, a hardware merchant in the area said after barricading, the left out road was not properly done. As a result, heavy water logging occurs whenever it rains, he rued. One of the trenches has become a cesspool because of the possible damage to a sewer line and the whole area stinks, said Mahaveer Chand, another trader in the area.

Mr. Irshadulla and Mr. Allabaksh also said owners were paid a pittance towards compensation for acquisition of the property. While the prevailing market price was not less than Rs. 10,000 a square feet in the locality, owners were paid around Rs. 2,000 a sq. ft.

In February this year, BMTRCL offloaded Navayuga Engineering Company from the responsibility of a major portion of the work on Reach 1 following delay in execution of the viaduct work. BMRCL said the contractor substantially defaulted in the performance of casting of segments for viaducts and launching of segments on Mahatma Gandhi Road. Eventually, the work of casting of 584 segments for Pier 1 to 26 (Byappanahalli to Old Madras Road Station) and Pier 117 to 154 (S.R. Road to Trinity Circle) was awarded to Gammon India.

BMRCL Managing Director N. Sivasailam was, however, confident of completing the work and launching the trial run by December 2010. He told The Hindu that the curve at the junction of CMH Road and Old Madras Road needed portal piers and the contractor was in the process of arranging pier shutters.

Mr. Sivasailam said of the 16 piers in the locality, work on seven had been completed and the remaining would come through shortly. Regarding the cesspool, the Managing Director said it would be filled up once the pier came on the location.

On the other hand, work on launching of girder segments on M.G. Road is in full swing and 339 segments have been cast as against 1,929 segments. In all, 17 spans have so far been erected on the stretch between Trinity Circle and M.G. Road.