Following the accident on the under-construction Eastern Freeway that brought to light glaring gaps in safety measures at the construction site,the citys development authority has decided to ensure strict barricading and a no parking rule at all other project sites,especially at monorail and Metro construction sites. After every major accident,the MMRDA announces plans to enforce strict safety measures at all its construction sites. This time we are going to give specific guidelines to contractors. We used to refrain from barricading construction sites earlier as it obstructs the smooth flow of traffic. However,from now on we will fully cordon off any place where there is a launching operation going on, said Ashwini Bhide,Additional Metropolitan Commissioner at the MMRDA,adding the authority will also strictly ensure that vehicles are not parked at construction sites. We will issue an advisory to all contractors in charge of projects being executed, she said. Currently,launching work is going on along the Wadala-Jacob Circle phase of the monorail,Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar for the Metro,and at certain places on the Panjarpol-Ghatkopar Link Road. On Thursday night,a few concrete segments at the Eastern Freeway construction site at Shanti Nagar in Wadala came crashing down,crushing a person to death and injuring at least seven others. The contractor,Simplex Infrastructure,had not barricaded the site even though work was going on overhead. A car,a Meru cab and an oil tanker parked underneath were crushed causing an oil spill in the entire stretch,as the no parking rule was not implemented. The development authority had earlier said it is difficult to implement the rules as people do not heed instructions of the site managers. Bhide said all contractors,including Simplex,follow an overall safety mechanism at the construction sites,but there is a lack of discipline at a personal level among supervisors and labourers that needs to be corrected. There is an overall chalta hai attitude. In this case they thought they were adept at the job because they had launched 267 such spans on the project and that might have resulted in some laxity, she said. The operation to clear segments,launch girders and remove debris was expected to be completed by Saturday midnight.
