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Tipu's armoury shifting goes smooth

Last Updated 23 February 2017, 20:18 IST

The project to move Tipu Sultan’s armoury has crossed a critical phase. The armoury is being moved 100 metres to make way for a railway track. The spectacular engineering effort is the first such in India.

The armoury, at his capital of Srirangapatna near Mysuru, weighs about 1,000 tonnes, and was raised a foot on Day 1.

The actual shifting begins on March 3, with the laying of rails and rollers. The work is likely to go on till March 8 or 9. As many as 70 workers, including six from the US, are working at the site.

The shifting of the 228-year-old armoury is vital for the Railways to complete the doubling of the Bengaluru-Mysuru line. Only 1.5 km of the track is pending. The work is being done by PSL Engineering of the Fedders Llyod group.

It is a joint venture with the US-based Wolfe House Movers. Terming the opening day as successful, Mukat Behari Sharma, director, Lloyd group, and armoury project director, said, “We began the work on January 6... The lifting has been smooth.”

The armoury is 12 metres wide and 10 metres high. Tipu Sultan stored his arms and ammunition there when he was fighting the British.

The Archeological Survey of India has approved the relocation. The temple town of Srirangapatna has eight such armouries. The estimated cost of the relocation is Rs 13.68 crore.

Tougher than a stone structure

Jamin Buckingham, project manager, said he had never seen such a strong monument in his career. It is tougher than a stone structure, he said. Pratap Simha, Mysuru MP, who visited the site, said work on the railway track would be taken up soon after the armoury was moved.The track is expected to be ready by April-end, Simha said.

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(Published 23 February 2017, 20:18 IST)

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