Kochi: Principal Adviser of the Delhi Metro Rail Corportion (DMRC) E Sreedharan has recommended the government to rebuild the Palarivattom flyover in Kochi. Sreedharan has inspected the structure recently following a request from the state government. The flyover was closed on May 1 after cracks appeared in different parts of the bridge and a flaw in the construction was detected.
During the inspection, Sreedharan, popularly known as 'Metro Man' for his leadership roles in building metro rails in many Indian cities, interacted with the engineers of the state Public Works Department (PWD) about its structure, method of construction and the technology used. He also asked them about the proposed repair works.
According to Sreedharan, the present works would not provide a permanent solution. Moreover, joining the girders was not a good move, he said.
The Kerala Government had sought Sreedharan's help after reports emerged that the flyover would not become safe by carrying out repairs alone.
Meanwhile, PWD Minister G Sudhakaran said the ongoing repair works at the flyover would continue. "The government will take a call on the demolition of the flyover after comparing the reports by Sreedharan and another by a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). For the time being, we have decided to continue the repair works," the Minister said in the Assembly on Thursday.
IIT study
In June, a team of experts from the IIT, Chennai, led by Prof Alagu Sunadaramoorthy, estimated that at least three months would be required to fix the flaws of the flyover located at Palarivattom. The experts assessed the condition of the flyover after removing the bitumen top laid earlier.
Sunadaramoorthy had said that poor quality of construction was obvious in the construction of the flyover.
"The design and construction too were faulty," he said.
Flawed from the start
It has been assessed that problems during the initial stage of construction led to the instability of the flyover. Internal problems of Roads and Bridges Development Corporation (RBDC), the company that won the construction contract, contributed to this flaw.
There were issues right from the start of the project, said sources who were involved in the building.
The Kochi operations of the RBDC, an autonomous body of the Government of Kerala, were reportedly headed by an MBA graduate who had no engineering background. He was later transferred to its administration section.
Meanwhile, quality was compromised as vested interests allegedly cut corners to seek higher profit.
Cracks in pillars and girders resulted from poor construction. All these indicate there was widespread corruption aided by Kitco, a technical consultancy, and RBDC.
The representatives of Bangalore-based Nagesh Consultants, which had designed the flyover, now claim the flyover became weak as a result of the wrong placement of its bearings.
