Double checks for Delhi Metro designs, says Sreedharan

Designs of the Delhi Metro will be checked twice before being adopted from now on, its chief E Sreedharan said today after a probe panel faulted the design and construction material for an accident that killed six people on July 12.

Designs of the Delhi Metro will be checked twice before being adopted from now on, its chief E Sreedharan said on Tuesday after a probe panel faulted the design and construction material for an accident that killed six people July 12.

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At a press conference in the capital, Sreedharan said among the side measures taken by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to avoid any such accidents in future will be a design double-check by an independent design office.

“The DMRC has decided not to depend entirely on its design office when it comes to the designs. General consultants or an independent design office will check the designs first and then pass it on to the (DMRC) design office. So there will be a double check,” Sreedharan said.

DMRC has also taken steps to revitalise the tool box safety drill to all workers and start a crash course for three days in safety rules and regulations for every worker at the construction site. The entire work force will be covered in 15 days.

Sreedharan also said that construction major Gammon India has been given a showcause notice and may get blacklisted for a period of two years for the July 12 accident.

Based on the probe by a panel appointed by the DMRC, he further said the design consultant, Arch Consultancy Services, has been blacklisted for five years, while the structural consultant, Tandon Consultants, which did not give "correct advice" to DMRC, is being debarred for two years.