Really concerned how many more irresponsible accidents are going to happen before this project is completed. I get the feeling this project is being run like a govt housing construction for the EWS. Poorly trained staff, inadequate safety precautions, badly managed traffic detours, absolutely low class construction practices. Why isnt there a basic backup warning buzzer on these vehicles? I thought they were standard on heavy equiment? This is not befitting a massive engineering project like the metro. Looking at the kind of contractors being used I think the construction needs to be audited for quality. I am sure the govt and authorities will have egg on their face if accidents happen after public starts using the trains.
Guard crushed to death at Metro site
We havent got past putting up pillars on a couple of streets and already the Metro project has been in news thrice during the past 27 days for all the wrong reasons.
1. A crane that was being operated for earthworks on CMH Road toppled onto the pavement, leading to protests from residents on Dec 15. However, there were no casualties. The crane driver reportedly lost balance, causing it to topple opposite a hotel on CMH Road. As the crane fell on its side, it smashed the barricade on the left and fell on the pavement, almost reaching the entrance of the hotel.
2. A barricade crashed down on Old Madras Road on January 2, damaging a car. The right side of the car was damaged and glasses were broken. The driver managed to escape unhurt.
3. The Namma Metro Rail project on Saturday night claimed its first victim when a 20-year-old youth was killed on the spot after he came under the wheels of a JCB earth mover at the M G Road-Brigade Road junction.According to the Cubbon Park traffic police, the driver of the earth mover, Selva, reversed the vehicle not realising Goswami was standing behind it. The security guard’s lower body got caught under the wheels of the earth mover, killing him on the spot.
Hope some govt watchdog or even the BMRC management steps in and takes stock of this project and puts some standards in place. Its absolutely shoddy right now.
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I worry about this too..
Just yesterday, I was driving on MG Road from Kumble Circle towards Brigade Road and a large backhoe appeared from behind the barricade on the lane I was in. I had to brake in a hurry and even when I did, there was merely a couple of inches of clearance between us as it passed our car. There was no warning, there was no one to signal the traffic to stop to allow the backhoe to pass. The piece of machinery then continued on its merry way against the flow of traffic. I think we could easily have been run over. My wife made me promise that if this were to happen again, I would swerve on to the oncoming traffic to aviod the monster. It is better to be hit by a "white Indica with yellow license plates" than get crushed by a metal monster intent on committing mayhem. I wonder if it is the same machine that was responsible for the manslaughter.
I also noticed that they have these blue metal beams loosely attached to a couple of pillars (looks like a bad glue job to me). These extend beyond the barricaded area. I worry that these will detatch themselves and fall on a passing car.
We used to have a saying in the world of electronics manufacturing -- focus on and nurture the process, the product will take care of itself. Looks like BMRCL is out to prove the anti-thesis.
Who will be liable?
Curious to know the liability aspects of this situation. If the victim were to approach the courts for claims, who would they go after, BMRCL, or the contractor who is carrying out the work?
Also, in a lot of cases, the low costs prevailing in our country come at the expense of safety and precautions. I wanted to ask the knowledgable folks here - is Metro coming cheaper compared to the worldwide standards of costs of building sophasticated elevated rail systems?
Nothing has been learnt
Four labourers who were involved in demolition work for the Metro Rail project were injured in a roof collapse on Thursday and were admitted to K C General Hospital.
You may think the workers would have been prepared for such a job but they had No helmets, no gloves, no safety net...
And the response to this....
When we brought these points to the notice of Raful, supervisor with the West Bengal-based company to whom the demolition work had been outsourced, he nonchalantly said the company had demolished “much taller” buildings without using any safety equipment. Even more incredibly, he added, “There is no need of any such safety equipment as all our labourers are professionals. They just look for a hammer and a drilling machine to demolish a building and are not interested in safeguarding themselves.”