Mega operation likely from Jan to shift Tipu's armoury

Huge excavation and lifting equipment from the US will arrive in Srirangapatna next month to relocate the 18th century armoury of Tipu Sultan.

The 225-year-old armoury, which is located close to the existing railway track between Mysuru and Bengaluru, would have to be shifted to make way for track doubling work right now underway.

The armoury weighs not less than 1,000 tonnes. Interestingly, this is the first time in India such a massive as well as a sensitive task of this nature is being taken up. The railways are hoping that the contractor, M/s PSL-Wolfe Private Limited, would be able to take up the task of lifting the armoury within a couple of days, in January.

A single jockeying system would be employed to physically lift the armoury. The entire work of relocating the armoury, a few yards away from the existing location, would be completed in March, railway sources said.

The railways is planning to videotape the operation. The media will be allowed to witness the exercise as the railways wants to maintain transparency, the sources said.  The work pace has gained momentum in the last few days with the Archeological Department giving its approval for the plan. The estimated cost for the work is Rs 10 to 13 crore.

PSL-Wolfe had submitted its blueprint to the department. The same, at last, has been approved about a couple of days ago by the department, according to Jayaraman Ganesan, general manager (operations), PSL-Wolfe, who is supervising the work at Srirangapatna.

Sources in the railways said the plan to relocate the armoury has also been approved by the Indian Institute of Science. With this, final clearance has been received to go ahead with the spot work. Ravichandran, deputy chief engineer (constructions), Mysuru, is supervising the work.

The armoury is coming in the way of alignment of the second railway track. There has been inordinate delay in relocating the armoury due to various reasons, including delay in identifying a contractor to take up the work and also getting clearances at various levels.

“The entire work on the relocation of the monument would be completed before next March,” said Jayaraman.