MRTS: Monuments in for vibration tests

NEW DELHI, December 4: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation DMRC has asked the National Physical Laboratory NPL to conduct elaborate vibr...

NEW DELHI, December 4: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation DMRC has asked the National Physical Laboratory NPL to conduct elaborate vibration tests at the monuments in Jantar Mantar and Kashmere Gate to find out whether they can take the load of the underground Mass Rapid Transport System MRTS which will pass near them.

The NPL has been commissioned to conduct the feasibility tests after the Archaeological Survey of India ASI raised objections to the MRTS plan forthe Capital. Certain sections of the MRTS corridor are closely aligned to Jantar Mantar and Kashmere Gate and the ASI feels that the vibrations may affect the stability of the monuments and damage them.

Sources in the DMRC said that NPL would conduct vibration surveys at five locations in the metro corridor. The survey will be conducted in two spells 8212; before the construction begins and during the construction itself.

Sources added that among the remedial measures suggested by the DMRC to minimise the fallout of the construction near the historical monuments was the use of special track fittings to ensure that the vibrations mostly get absorbed in the track structure itself.

As part of the MRTS project, soil stabilisation was undertaken before construction activity began to improve its strength and suitable construction methodology was also devised to minimise vibrations during the construction period.

DMRC officials said that the ASI had not submitted any objections to the MRTS plan when it was being drawn up. It was only after the plan was approved that the ASI pointed out these objections and even suggested that the entire alignment of the corridor be shifted away from the monuments.

The much-delayed MRTS project has been running into difficulties ever since it was commissioned almost a decade ago. While the estimated costs of the project have escalated almost four times, construction is yet to commence in a serious manner. The project has also faced opposition over the slated removal of religious structures and shops in different parts of the city. All this, sources said, would only delay the project further.