A Namma Metro construction accident has claimed the lives of a woman and her child in Bengaluru on Tuesday, 10 January. According to Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited, a private company Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC) Limited, which is in-charge of multi-crore housing and development projects across the country, will be held responsible for the tragic accident.
Spokesperson of BMRCL Yashavanth Chavan told The Quint, "It is not a Metro pillar, but reinforcement for construction of a Metro pillar that collapsed. I am sure the safety precautions were followed during construction but BMRCL will constitute an enquiry into the role of the company in charge of the construction." The BMRCL told The Quint that NCC Limited was given the contract for Metro work near Nagawara, Bengaluru.
In the accident, the pillar which was under-construction fell on Tejaswini, 28, and her son Vihan, 3, when they were pillion riding on a bike driven by the woman's husband, Lohit Kumar. Kumar and his infant daughter have suffered injuries and are being treated at a hospital in Bengaluru. Tejaswini was a software engineer and Lohit Kumar is a civil engineer.
BMRCL authorities have announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for the family.
What Caused the Accident?
According to preliminary investigation conducted by BMRCL, the cast for the pillar, the construction of which was underway, was held in place by wires. "One of the wires, which held the structure in place, seems to have given way leading to the whole structure made of iron bars falling over. What caused the breakage of the supporting wire will have to be investigated," a BMRCL officer said.
The BMRCL is expected to issue notice to NCC Ltd, the company in-charge of the construction of this leg of Metro works.
"Show cause notices will be issued to the company and chief engineers. BMRCL will also constitute a technical team to probe the cause of the accident to prevent such mishaps."BMRCL Official
Meanwhile, BMRCL has decided to ask Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to probe what caused the collapse.
According to BMRCL, work on Metro Rail can be done only by companies that follow the Corporation's safety guide. "The company in-charge of construction was given tender only after they convinced the corporation that they would follow safety guidelines. However, a shortfall has occured and it will be investigated," the BMRCL official said.
What Metro Construction Contracts Have NCC Got?
According to BMRCL, in 2021, NCC Ltd bagged Metro Rail contracts worth Rs 2,170 crore. This includes the contract for Namma Metro's airport line.
The company is currently in-charge of three packages in the Phase II of Namma Metro construction. Each of the packages are worth Rs 739.04 crore, Rs 748 crore, and Rs 680.21 crore.
In the first package, the company is in-charge of elevated structures and eight elevated Metro Stations including Kasturi Nagar, Horamavu, HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, HBR, Nagawara, Veerannapalya, and Kempapura.
The second package includes construction of five Metro Stations including Hebal, Kodigehalli, Jakkur Cross, Yelahanka, and Bagalur. The third package will see the construction of two elevated Metro Stations including Bettahalasuru and Doddajala.
What Other Projects Have NCC Ltd Taken Up?
NCC Limited is a leading construction company with many housing and urban infrastructure projects in its kitty. The company has a subsidiary NCC Urban which, according to their website, has an annual turnover of over Rs 12,000 crore.
The company specialises in "industrial buildings, commercial structures, townships, roads, bridges, pipelines etc...," the website read. The company is also in-charge of National Games Housing Project in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
The company has multi-crore house projects in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Gurgaon, Lucknow, and Raipur, the website claims. The Quint has reached out to the company for a response and will update the article once they respond.
Now BMRCL's technical team will "look into the protocols followed by the company in ensuring safety," the BMRCL official quoted earlier, said.
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