In what could have resulted in another major tragedy, a crane working at an under-construction Delhi Metro site at INA lost balance and overturned on Friday morning. Fortunately, the giant crane fell inside the Metro barricades and no one was injured in the incident. Since the barricades are located right next to a busy road, the extent of the incident could have been more severe had it fallen over the vehicles passing by.

The crane, weighing a whopping 80 tonnes, was reportedly excavating earth at the Metro site when it suddenly toppled over around 6 am. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the rope attaching the crane to the load fell short and the driver tried to lower the boom to reach out further. However, this caused imbalance and the crane overturned.

Another crane was brought to the site for recovery action. To facilitate its movement, a part of the main road had to be blocked for traffic. The diversions, imposed around Jor Bagh, led to traffic snarls on the major artery. The road remained closed till late in the evening and the effect of the congestion was felt all the way up to Aurobindo Marg.

A Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson said an enquiry had been ordered into the incident after which appropriate action will be taken. ‘‘The Chief Project Manager (CPM) of the line has been asked to carry out an enquiry into the incident. After the report comes in, necessary action will be taken,’’ the spokesperson said.

Back-to-back incidents being reported from Delhi Metro construction sites — this is the fourth incident in the past two months, including a major structural collapse — have raised a question mark over the way work is being carried out by DMRC and the extent to which safety manuals are being adhered to. The general perception is that with tight deadlines and too many sites to oversee, DMRC, which used to be a role model for other government organisations, is losing hold.

The construction under Phase II has considerably increased the ambit of work of the corporation as many more lines are coming up in the city before the Commonwealth Games 2010. Due to the increased pace of construction and tight deadlines, the feeling is that DMRC’s quality of work is suffering. Last month, a large portion of an elevated Metro alignment fell on the main road. An enquiry carried out into the incident pointed to a major lapse on the part of the contractor, who has been blacklisted by DMRC for carrying out further construction. Action was also taken against supervisory officials of DMRC who had been enthrusted the task of overseeing the construction activity on the site.

Source: Times of India