Kolkata, Jul 30 (PTI) Kolkata Metro has decided to demolish parts of the Kavi Subhash station (New Garia), the southern terminal of the North-South line, after cracks appeared on columns of the Up line platform due to foundation subsidence following heavy rainfall over the past few days.
The Metro said in a statement on Wednesday evening that a target has been set to complete the entire repair work within a period of nine months.
A Metro Railway spokesperson told PTI earlier in the day that the station would be partially dismantled and services would now operate between Shahid Khudiram and Dakshineswar stations on both Up and Down sections.
A portion of the station connecting New Garia with Dakshineswar will be overhauled, the spokesperson said.
The Metro Railways statement elaborated, “Following a detailed structural assessment, an execution scheme for the rehabilitation of the affected Up platform has been finalised based on the recommendations of M/s RITES. The rehabilitation works mainly involve removal of roof sheeting and roof truss of both the platform and dismantling of columns of UP platform, platform slab and reconstruction of UP platform.” “A target has been set to complete the entire repair and rehabilitation work within nine months,” it added.
About discovery of the cracks, the statement said, “Cracks were observed in four columns on the Up platform of Kavi Subhash metro station on July 28 and the Metro Railways took a precautionary measure to withdraw passenger services to and from Kavi Subhash station from 12.45 pm on the same day following record rainfall — the highest experienced in the last five years — which is suspected to have caused uneven settlement in the affected area.” Since then, Metro services on the North-South (Blue Line) are being operated between Shahid Khudiram and Dakshineswar stations in both Up and Down directions without interruption, it said.
The process for floating a tender for the construction of the part of the station has already started, and work will commence on a war footing soon.
Despite the disruption on the Blue Line, services between Kavi Subhash and Ruby Crossing on the Orange Line will remain unaffected, the spokesperson said.
Parts of the station catering to the Blue line — the signal and telecom (ST) equipment — are already being demolished.
This was the first time in the history of Kolkata Metro that a station was being dismantled following cracks in its pillars.
“All other 25 stations of the North-South line are in good condition,” the spokesperson said.
The 32-km Blue Line, Kolkata Metro’s oldest, was extended southward in two phases between 2009 and 2010, first from the then-terminal Tollygunge (now Mahanayak Uttam Kumar) to Garia Bazar (Kavi Nazrul), and later to New Garia (Kavi Subhash). The Kavi Subhas station was opened in October 2010. PTI SUS MNB ACD
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