The Metro authorities will halt their tunnelling work in the last leg of the East-West Metro line at Durga Pithuri Lane due to the upcoming monsoon.
The authorities of the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRCL) have decided to suspend the tunnelling work at the affected area of Bowbazar.
The KMRCL and ITD Cementation JV had a high-level meeting today to discuss and review long-term and short plans for the measures to be taken in case of the retrieval shaft at Bowbazar. The implementing agency of the project is taking additional measures to safeguard the shaft with the help of deep grouting around it. In order to counter the issue, the KMRCL engineers are using a technology called ‘shotcrete’ which is a method of firing grouting material like gunshots on the vertical surface. Taking no chance to prevent an incident like last week, the engineers are using triple layers of the shots for extra strength. Apart from this, the engineers are also preferring to abstain from removing the concrete that was poured inside the shaft keeping in account the upcoming rainy season.
Notably, the KMRCL is putting efforts to rope in experts from IIT-Roorkee. In addition, John Endicott, an international expert on the domain, who was one of the members of the committee that guided the implementing agency during the 2019 disaster, is also to review the condition of the affected site next week.