DMRC slaps notice on Afcons Infra for accident

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) has issued a showcause notice to Afcons Infrastructure, after a probe found it guilty of negligence which resulted in the collapse of the launching girder at Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi, killing two people last month.

The high-level technical committee report, in its report submitted on Tuesday, has held the contractor responsible for the accident. Post investigation, including review of design, analysis of test reports of various elements, interview of witnesses and site visits, the committee came to a conclusion that the accident was due to the omission and carelessness on the part of the contractor’s workers on various fronts.

DMRC stated, “As the accident was due to carelessness and omission by the contractor, Afcons Infrastructure, DMRC has decided to issue a showcause notice to the contractor for blacklisting in all its works.”

The contractors’ workers failed to insert a minimum of ten pins for each column. Also the pins were made ineffective by enlarging the matching holes in which they were to be fitted. In order to carry the desired weight on the supporting column, a minimum of ten pins are required to be inserted. The evidence at the site showed that not more than 4 pins were inserted as against the required 10.

Not just this, it was also found during the investigation that the holes of the outer tube which should match precisely with the holes of the inner tube for inserting of the pins were enlarged by gas cutting, making differential loads being taken by each pin.

Following the incident, DMRC has already removed from service Assistant Engineer and the Jr Engineer, who were responsible for the work, for their failure to ensure that the contractor had taken all the precautions at work site.

Source: financialexpress.com