KOLKATA: A 40-mm subsidence of the soil around the Metro work site on Durga Pithuri Lane led to cracks in 18 buildings in the Bowbazar neighbourhood, stated the preliminary report by experts at Jadavpur University that was submitted to Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The report also flagged concern over the fate of ageing houses on Durga Pituri Lane once the Metro services begin. But Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) engineers were quick to allay such fears and said the subsidence incidents were caused during the tunnel construction and would not recur when trains plied the tunnels as hi-tech systems had been designed to absorb vibrations and confine them within the twin tunnels.
“The East-West Metro will run after installing the hi-tech fastening system that will hold the tracks from either side due to which they won’t touch the surface. The same system has been used in London Tube and subway trains in the US,” a KMRC engineer said. International firms have been engaged to install these fastening technologies with elastic properties that can completely absorb vibration. “The best companies will be involved to control rake-induced vibration and take mitigation measures accordingly,” the engineer assured.
