Metro tunnel-boring causes cracks in buildings

Residents of Balepet are an anxious lot as the Namma Metro’s tunnel-boring machine ‘Kaveri’ is carrying out underground tunnel work between Chickpet and Majestic causing cracks in some buildings.

While many people have left their homes on their own, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has been advising people living in homes older than 100 years to move to safer places. It has also asked people living in houses adjacent to the 350-year-old Sugreeva Venkatramanaswamy temple to leave.

Steel beams have been fixed to support some of the houses that might develop cracks during the tunnelling work. The BMRCL has designated the tunnel-boring area as TBM Zone. It has developed an online mechanism, in an area of 50 metres where the underground work is on, to watch the area.

A resident of Balepet, Ashwathnarayan, told Deccan Herald: “The building I live in is nearly 70 years old. It was fine all these years, but after the metro underground work started, many buildings in the area, including my house, developed cracks.”

Another resident, B K Meera, said she had been told by the BMRCL personnel to shift to another area till the tunnelling work is completed. “Because of this, I have shifted to another place. This was two days ago. My anxiety was about the consequences of staying at home. What if something happens? However, the BMRCL officials have assured us that compensation would be given to our family in case of any damage.”

The owner of a handloom shop in the area, G Paramashiva, pointed to the cracks in his shop’s godown. “Inside, there are goods and materials worth lakhs of rupees. I am worried what will happen to them if I store them here. So, I am shifting the materials to a different place.”

What BMRCL has to say

“In Balepet and Chickpet areas, there are hard rocks underneath. Tremors are caused due to tunnel-boring. Except some cracks in the joints of some buildings, there has been no other serious damage,” BMRCL officials said.

The tunnel-boring machine is at work 60 feet below the ground and there is a possibility of encountering uneven ground and topography. To ensure that there is no depression of land and formation of holes and craters, we are pouring concrete from above. There is a need to bore the tunnel over 750 metres between Chickpet and Majestic. Now, we have completed 522 metres. Right now, the machine is at the MLS building of Balepet. This area has nearly 70 to 80 per cent of hard rock. So, work is going on slowly,” they added.