Design consultant misled us, contractor about pier: DMRC

New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) Putting the blame on "deficiency"
in design and material for the July 12 mishap which claimed
six lives, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Tuesday claimed
that a design consultant firm which inspected the site
"misled" them and the contractor about the condition of the
pier which collapsed.

The DMRC is also serving a show-cause notice to
contractor Gammon India, which was carrying out the work at
Zamrudpur accident site, to explain why it should not be
blacklisted for two years, besides suspending its two Deputy
Chief Engineers.

It also blacklisted Arch Consultant, design consultant of
Gammon India, for five years besides issuing a "major penalty
chargesheet" to Chief Engineer (Design) Rajan Kataria.

Making the findings of a probe into the Zamrudpur
accident public, DMRC chief E Sreedharan said Tandon
Constructions were appointed by them to inspect the site after
cracks were reported.

"The crack on the pier 67 was first noticed on April one
and we approached them on April three. They gave us a report
on April 15 saying that there was no inadequacy in the design.
The consultant misled the DMRC and contractor," Sreedharan
told a press conference.

The Board of Directors of DMRC which met here Monday
to study the report of the three-member panel headed by IIT
professor A K Nagpal decided to blacklist Tandon Construction
for two years.
According to the report, Sreedharan said, the design
of the cantilever pier which collapsed in Zamrudpur was not
adequately taken care of.
"There was a deficiency of steel at critical areas
besides a major deficiency in reinforcement detailing," he
said.
On the strength of concrete, he said it "failed in
strength criteria by a wide margin" though the quality of the
materials used were of acceptable levels.
Sreedharan said that the accident had resulted in a
three-month delay in the completion of the Noida line but he
expressed confidence that all Phase II projects will be
completed before Commonwealth Games next year. "We will finish
all the projects linked to phase II before the commencement of
the Commonwealth Games 2010," he said.
Earlier in the day, Urban Development Minister S
Jaipal Reddy informed Lok Sabha that the collapse of a
launching girder and a portion of a viaduct were caused by
"serious deficiency" in the design of the cantilever arm and
that the concrete did not have "adequate strength probably due
to lack of (its) adequate curing."
Sreedharan said the DMRC will now insist on a second-
level of quality and safety assurance for its works. PTI SJY
DDC
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