Slurry gushes into Shivajinagar house during metro tunnelling

Residents at a house on Shivaji Road in Shivajinagar were evacuated after the underground tunnelling work for Namma Metro’s Reach 6 line led to slurry gushing through the wall of a multi-storey building.

As the slurry breached the walls Wednesday night, residents sleeplessly waited for a response from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

The slurry filled the road and entered a shop as well as the house occupied by a family of four.

Nafeesa Khan, an educationist, tweeted about the incident on Friday, seeking Bangalore Central MP P C Mohan's intervention.

"Residents (feel) unsafe, massive damage has been caused. No alternative arrangements been done, nor they have been temporarily shifted to safer places,” the tweet said.

BMRCL Chief Public Relations officer B L Yashavanth Chavan said the breach took place during the tunnelling work below the building and the family had been evacuated on time "before" the slurry leakage, a claim contested by others.

A person close to former corporator Shakeel Ahmed said the residents shifted to a relative’s house after waiting for hours. "There was confusion until metro officials came to the spot later in the night. The family was in shock and had no idea what to do. They were shifted later," he said.

Chavan said air pockets pushed the slurry upwards due to the pressure caused by tunnelling.

"As soon as the TBM passes the building area, further investigation will be done and cement grouting from floor will be taken up to consolidate the ground. The occupants of the house are very cooperative and allowed us to take up necessary repair works," he said.

He said the residents were offered alternative accommodation, but they decided to stay in a relative’s house. "Suitable compensation will be paid by the contractor for the evacuation period. The damages to the building will be repaired before the occupants (return)," he said.

BMRCL has been evacuating residents living in buildings located above the tunnelling work, Chavan said. "It’s a precautionary measure to ensure safety,” he added.