MUMBAI: Four months after a span of an under-construction elevated road, which was under construction, collapsed at Bandra-Kurla on September 17 last year, the regional development authority, MMRDA, has penalised the contractor Rs 1 crore for “not taking adequate precaution, leading to the collapse”.
The 65-metre-long and 8-metre-wide two-lane span which collapsed weighs 250 metric tonnes.
"Every year there have been instances of labourers or construction workers getting killed at infrastructure project sites, which is shameful. MMRDA has done the right thing by imposing a penalty. Hopefully, this will deter contractors from ignoring safety protocols. Hope other government bodies also take a leaf out of this and begin taking stringent action for minor and major mishaps.-TimesView"
The span was for the elevated, road which was under construction, which is an extension of Santacruz-Chembur Link Road. Fourteen labourers had had an escape but sustained minor injuries.
A senior MMRDA official said, “We have imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on J Kumar Infra Projects Ltd and another Rs 20 lakh on the consultant. Both these firms failed to ensure adequate material support that would ensure the span does not collapse.”
Metropolitan commissioner SVR Srinivas confirmed, “We have imposed the penalty to ensure accountability although no death had taken place.”
Sources said it the first time that such a steep penalty has been imposed by the infrastructure body although there was no casualty.
The sources also said that the penalty was based on the findings of an inquiry committee that comprised experts from Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, and from Veer Jijamata Technical Institute.
The collapsed span was made of steel. It had a sharp curve-shaped design. In April, the span was laid above the MMRDA ground portion, near BKC-MTNL junction, parallel to the path ofMithi river in that area.
There were no pedestrians below the collapsed portion at that time since the MMRDA ground, where work is under progress, is completely barricaded.
The arm that collapsed originates near Citibank on BKC Road and takes a left turn before taking another left to take traffic from BKC to Santacruz. The bridge tilted when work on pouring of concrete was in progress on the surface of the slab.
The work on the bridge had begun in 2016 and was scheduled to be completed in 2019. However, absence of right of way and design issues as well as Covid-induced lockdown had led to extension of deadline. The bridge, as per revised schedule, was targeted to open in March this year but MMRDA will miss this deadline too as the steel span will be procured again. Such steel span design girders require time to be designed and to be manufactured.
SCLR, which is 3.8 km long, is beingconstructed at a cost of Rs 415 crore.
