After Helen, Margarita reaches Central College

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Thursday said its tunnel boring machine (TBM) Margarita reached Central College at the Sir M Visvesvaraya underground station after having bored 925 metres under K G Road, Post Office Road.

Margarita’s breakthrough at Central College came at 4.40 pm on Thursday, BMRCL said. Helen, BMRCL’s other TBM, had achieved the breakthrough at Central College on March 3 at 11 am. Margarita started operations from Majestic in the middle of August, 2011.

In a recent development, which is expected to boost work on the underground stretch, the Ministry of Railways instructed General Manger of South Western Railways to accord permission to BMRCL to carry out work at the site where the Bangalore City Station of Metro is planned. A formal approval is awaited.

“The work at this location is about eight months behind schedule. We are happy to inform that construction work of Kempegowda (Majestic) Station has commenced,” BMRCL said.

It said work is being scaled up to ensure peak activity in two to three months.

Also, the Factory Acceptance Test for the First Tunnel Earth Pressure Balance Boring Machine for the North-South underground corridor was carried out recently and the machine is likely to arrive in the City in the next 45 days.

However, work on the City Market Station is stalled on account of the delay in the land acquisition process involving the property of National Travels.

A case has been filed by the owner in the High Court praying for quashing the acquisition proceedings. The work in this area is behind schedule by two months.

Further, litigations involving acquisition of land for Soap Factory Station and Cubbon Park Station at Minsk Square are delaying the work.

“Progress in these locations is behind schedule by six months and has become critical.

Litigation in the High Court involving land acquired by NHAI, but allegedly not paid for by them, has affected viaduct work in Peenya, derailing work schedules severely,” BMRCL said.

Formal approval of the State government to shift the Dr Ambedkar Statue in the Vidhana Soudha premises is also awaited and work in this area is about five months behind schedule at this stage.