Bengaluru
The toppling of a crane at the Namma Metro construction site on Friday has yet again raised safety concerns among the public as lakhs of people commute on circuits where metro works are underway.
While a reinforcement structure collapse killed a mother-son duo on Outer Ring Road near HBR Layout in January, fortunately there was no casualty in the second incident that occurred at Silk Board Junction on Friday night. These incidents have now triggered questions about safety protocols the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is adhering to during construction.
The BMRCL officials say that they are taking extra precaution and at the Silk Board incident site, marshals were present and traffic was diverted due to which casualty was avoided.
Sandeep Anirudhan, Convener, Citizens’ Agenda for Bengaluru said public safety should not be compromised at any cost. The incidents make one wonder whether the BMRCL is regularly carrying out safety inspections of the sites. In many sites, construction materials are dumped haphazardly inviting potential danger, he said.
Srinivas Alavilli, a citizen activist, while maintaining that BMRCL has better safety standards in place, pointed out that it is also under tremendous pressure to complete work to meet deadlines. But the speed of construction should not come at the cost of human life. Although there was no casualty in the crane fall incident, this should not had happened, he said.
Mr. Alavilli stressed that the BMRCL should make public safety protocols and measures in place to build confidence and gain trust of the public.
Managing Director, BMRCL, Anjum Parvez said the crane collapse is unusual and may have been caused due to marsh or slushy mud following rainfall. He said, “We have increased safety officers and inspections are done regularly. The BMRCL deploys marshals in sites where major works are underway and there is no cause for concern.”