Ambedkar statue goes 19 mm down in City

Namma Metro’s troubles over non-shifting of the Ambedkar statue near the Vidhana Soudha have taken a new turn. The statue has gone 19 mm down from its original position due to the ongoing underground work for the Vidhana Soudha Metro station, according to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director N Sivasailam.

Although the statue is safe, the marginal movement occurred a few days ago due to the ground shifting below the rock on which the statue is placed. “However, we had already created a settlement below and surrounding portions of the rock, on which the statue is standing. So the statue came down safely and there has been no leaning or any other damage to it,” he said.

On the sidelines of a talk on “Namma Metro and Challenges” organised by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) here, Sivasailam said even though the statue stood on a solid rock, the ground below the rock was loose. “Carrying on the work here has been a challenge,” he said. 

“We have to cut the portion of the rock to make space for passenger walkway out of the underground station.”

Sivasailam said the station work has been already delayed by six months. “We cannot wait more. As per the alternative design, we are constructing a wider pathway around the statue, which means the passengers would have to cover an extra distance of 20 mts while passing through the stretch,” he explained.

Sivasailam said BMRCL had taken enough precautions to ensure safety of the statue. “However, we are not responsible for accidental damage, if any, caused to the statue due to the earth movement or other such reasons. We have stated the same in a recent affidavit filed before the high court in this regard,” he said.The Vidhana Soudha station is a crucial part of the underground stretch (part of East-West corridor of Namma Metro) between Majestic and Baiyyappanahalli. The delay in shifting of Ambedkar statue has already cost crores of rupees to the BMRCL.

A few weeks ago, the high court had slapped a contempt notice on the State government for violating its directive to shift the statue. However, the government, fearing opposition from a section of the society, chose not to take any decision on shifting the statue.