Tunnel builder in flyover mishap
Gammon India was also found culpable of negligence in a similar mishap in 2007, when an under-construction flyover bridge in Hyderabad collapsed and killed two people, according to Indian media.
Punatshangchu hydroelectric project’s managing director, Rajinder Nath Khazanchi, however, said that it should not be a concern for Punatsangchhu project, because building a flyover bridge and hydropower project tunnel were “two different jobs altogether”.
“But we’d be more cautious and safety standards will be followed,” he said, adding that Gammon had built several tunnels for hydroelectric projects before. Part of the civil construction work for Teesta hydroelectric project stage V in Sikkim was also awarded to Gammon in May 2003, said Khazanchi.
Gammon India was given the job to build the tunnels for Punatsangchu project in April this year.
Managing director of Druk Green power corporation, Chhewang Rinzin, said that the work in Punatsangchhu had just started and, with the recent incident in Delhi, it was now important for the supervisors and managers to ensure safety and quality of work. “It’s good that Punatsangchu project has small packages of construction work, which makes supervision easier,” he said.
Over 32 workers were engaged at the construction site at the time of the accident in Delhi and about 14 were injured, according to reports. On July 13, a day after the Delhi metro bridge incident, three cranes collapsed, injuring six workers, who were clearing the accident site.
The Indian government has asked a four-member high-powered committee to investigate the accident and submit its report within ten days.
Gammon India, whose business spans transportation, engineering, hydropower and irrigation, told Indian media that it would not comment until a government committee came up with the results of its investigation on the accident.
The managing director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corp., E Sreedharan, also resigned, saying he “owned full moral responsibility” for the bridge accident. However, the Delhi government rejected his resignation, according to Indian media.
