Latest news with #CMRL
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Chennai Metro-MRTS Merger: PMO directs Railway Board to speed up the project
The Prime Minister's Office has directed the Railway Board to speed up the Chennai Metro-MRTS merger project. This comes a few weeks after Chief Minister M.K. Stalin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the NITI Aayog meeting and gave a memorandum. Among the key priorities mentioned in it included 'Transfer of Chennai's MRTS to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). 'We understand that following that meeting, PMO has directed the Railway Board to accelerate work on this project. Subsequently, the Railway Board had asked three queries to the Southern Railways. We hope that the board gives an approval soon,' a source in Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) said. A senior official of Railways said, they have responded to all the queries raised by the board so far. The takeover of MRTS by the CMRL has been discussed for over a decade now with no end in sight. CUMTA, which has been steering this project for a couple of years now, sent the proposal to the Railway Board in February 2024 and has been waiting for a response since then. CUMTA's proposal indicates that MRTS has an operating cost of nearly Rs 104 crore a year and the revenue is nearly Rs 50 crore per year. Sources said, the merger had been unnecessarily delayed for a long time now. Commuters said that it is disappointing to see how this project has failed to take off for years now. Dayanand Krishnan, a resident of Tambaram, said, after witnessing the ease and comfort with which commuters can travel in Chennai Metro Rail system, they want the same comfort in other public transport systems as well. 'The MRTS stations don't feel welcoming at all. The maintenance and cleanliness are nothing like Chennai Metro Rail stations. While they have vast spaces in stations which could be utilised well for commercial exploitation, it hasn't happened. If CMRL takes over MRTS, commuters will benefit massively. We hope that they speed up the project soon,' he added.
India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Chennai Metro fines contractor Rs 1 crore over fatal beam collapse
A week after a metro construction collapse in Chennai's Nandambakkam area claimed the life of a 43-year-old man, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has levied a penalty of Rs 1 crore on the contractor deemed primarily responsible for the incident. The Chief Safety Manager for Environmental, Social, Health and Safety (ESHS), as well as the Senior ESHS Manager, have been held accountable. CMRL has confirmed that action has been taken against both General Consultant (GC), which served as the supervising agency for the project, has been held secondarily responsible. Disciplinary action has been initiated against two key personnel within the GC team — the Safety Engineer and the Senior Deputy Resident Engineer. A total of four officials from both the contractor and the GC have been removed from their respective roles in the metro project. The incident occurred on the night of June 11, when a massive concrete beam collapsed near the Valasaravakkam neighbourhood in western Chennai, not far from the DLF IT Special Economic Zone and the Larsen & Toubro Construction Campus. The location forms part of the under-construction metro corridor linking Poonamallee to Porur via to police personnel on-site, the accident took place around 9 pm, when a concrete metro beam crashed onto the road during construction activity. CMRL, in a press release clarified that two I-girders erected a week earlier near the main gate of the Larsen & Toubro Head Office in Manapakkam collapsed after one of the A-frame supports slipped. 'It is with regret that we confirm one fatality from the incident. A thorough investigation is forthcoming,' the agency deceased, identified as Ramesh, a native of Nagercoil, was caught beneath the debris and died at the scene. CMRL has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the victim's family, while L&T, which is executing the metro work, has offered an additional Rs 20 lakh as compensation. CMRL also stated that work is under way to clear the debris and restore the affected stretch on a 'war footing', and that an internal investigation is in progress to determine the precise cause of the failure. IN THIS STORY#Chennai#Tamil Nadu
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
L&T fined Rs 1 crore over death of biker in Chennai Metro girder collapse, four officials sacked
CHENNAI: Larsen & Toubro has been fined ₹1 crore after an internal inquiry by Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) found the company responsible for the collapse of two I-girders near its Manapakkam headquarters, which resulted in the death of a motorcyclist. A senior CMRL official confirmed that the inquiry report held both the contractor (L&T) and the General Consultant (GC) primarily responsible for the incident. Following this, L&T was penalised ₹1 crore. Two key L&T personnel — the Chief Safety Manager (ESHS) and the Senior ESHS Manager — were found to have been directly accountable and have been terminated from service. Similarly, the General Consultant, tasked with supervision, was found secondarily responsible, a CMRL release stated. 'Action has also been taken against the Safety Engineer and the Senior Deputy Resident Engineer under the General Consultant. Both have been dismissed,' the official added.
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
L&T Fined Rs 1 Crore After Deadly Girder Collapse At Chennai Metro Site
Chennai: Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has imposed a Rs 1 crore penalty on its contractor, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), after an accident at its Manapakkam construction site led to the death of a 43-year-old worker on Thursday. The penalty follows an internal investigation that held the contractor primarily responsible for the collapse of two massive I-girders. The accident occurred during construction activities for Phase II of the Chennai Metro. CMRL stated that a supporting frame slipped, causing the girders to fall. The victim, identified as Ramesh, hailed from Nagercoil and was on duty when the structure collapsed. An enquiry committee constituted by CMRL submitted its report on June 18, attributing primary responsibility to L&T for safety lapses. Consequently, two key safety officials from the contractor, the Chief Safety Manager (ESHS) and the Senior ESHS Manager, have been removed from the project. The committee also held the General Consultant (GC), tasked with supervising the project, secondarily responsible. Following this, the Safety Engineer and the Senior Deputy Resident Engineer from the GC team have also been relieved of their duties. CMRL has extended financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the victim's family, while L&T provided another Rs 20 lakh. The incident has sparked concern over safety protocols at large infrastructure projects in the city. CMRL has pledged to reinforce safety oversight and ensure stricter accountability on all sites going forward.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Chennai Metro Rail slaps ₹1 crore fine on contractor, removes four staff after Ramapuram girder crash
Chennai Metro Rail has slapped a fine of ₹1 crore on the contractor for the recent girder crash that occurred at a construction site in Ramapuram, in which a man was killed. According to officials, following an inquiry, four persons who were directly responsible for the incident have been removed from the project. Around 9.45 p.m. on June 12, when a two-wheeler rider, Ramesh, was travelling past Manapakkam, two I-girders fell from the under-construction flyover, killing him on the spot. Each of the I-girders weighed nearly 75 tonnes. Compensation given Soon after the incident, Chennai Metro Rail Limited issued a statement saying that CMRL and the contractor, Larsen and Toubro (L&T), had given a compensation of ₹25 lakh to the family of the motorist. Sources said the investigation report indicated that the collapse could have been prevented had the contractor provided support to the girders. 'The contractor should have carried out what is known as 'lateral bracing' — providing support to the mid-section of the girder. While it was mentioned in the detailed design, it was not executed. As a result, the turnbuckle and the steel A-frame could not take the load of girders, and collapsed. Doing this was essential as the the length of the I-girder was 33.3 metres. Action has been taken against those directly responsible with the execution of the work in the area,' a source said. A safety audit has also been completed, and it has been found that there was no issue with the quality of the concrete, the steel A-frame, and the turnbuckle used in the section. Work is under way to provide support to the I-girders at the mid-section along this stretch. Officials of CMRL said they had found that the contractor was primarily responsible for the incident. The supervising agency for the CMRL, the General Consultant (GC), too has to bear responsibility, they say. The Chief Safety Manager (Environmental, Social, Health and Safety-ESHS); senior ESHS Manager of L&T Safety Engineer; and Senior Deputy Resident Engineer from the GC have been removed from the project. The 3.15-km flyover is being built below the elevated Metro Rail stretch for Corridor 5 (Madhavaram to Sholinganallur), and is likely to be completed by this year-end.
