Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Aug 23: On the request of Chairman, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, E Sreedharan, Member of the Board and nationally renowned for his pioneering work to establish the metro network in Delhi, has conducted a Safety Audit of the major infrastructure projects of the Shrine Board and expressed satisfaction on the measures taken by the Board for ensuring the safety and security of the pilgrims.
A high level Safety Audit Team of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), led by Devendra Gill, Additional General Manager (Safety), DMRC, conducted Safety Audit of the various major infrastructure development projects being executed by the Shrine Board, including the Slope Stabilization Project and the two Ropeway Projects.
Pertinent to recall that in the wake of recent incidents of shooting stones and landslides on the track to the Shrine, caused by heavy rains, which had resulted in the death of five persons and injuries to eight persons, the Shrine Board had requested the DMRC for conducting a detailed Safety Audit of the major infrastructure development projects of the Board.
Governor N N Vohra, Chairman of the Shrine Board, had also sought a detailed report from A K Sahu, CEO of the Shrine Board, about the up-to-date progress of the various long term measures taken for ensuring the safety and security of the pilgrims against landslides and stones falling on the tracks at vulnerable points.
In his report, the CEO has informed that the entire 21 km length of the track from Katra to Bhawan is being covered with shelter sheds and, so far, work on 15 km has already been completed, while it is progressing to cover the remaining vulnerable stretches of the track. High quality heavy gauge CGI sheets are being used to cover the sheds which absorb the thrust of the smaller falling stones.
As per the earlier direction of the Chairman, an 8 feet high welded mesh fence has been erected all along the entire track to ensure against any pilgrim accidentally falling down the hill slopes. As of now this fencing has been erected along 18 km of the tracks while work is ongoing at fast pace on the remaining stretches. Process has also been initiated to construct shelter sheds at vulnerable points on the new 7.4 km Tarakote-Adhkuwari Track.
CEO stated that the Board is implementing Rs 77 crore slope stabilisation project, being executed in phases, to protect, treat and stabilize 33 sites on the Trikuta mountains which have been identified as potentially the most vulnerable from the point of view of landslides and stones falling on the tracks.
The agency entrusted with the preparation of Master Plan for the entire Shrine area has also been asked to conduct capacity assessment studies vis-a-vis the number of pilgrims, putting in place various infrastructure facilities and, at the same time, ensuring maximum possible utilization of appropriate technological options to reduce the load on the hill slopes. On the Board’s request, the Geological Survey of India has already conducted a study on identified sites and action is being taken accordingly.
After the recent incidents of shooting stones and landslides, a Committee has been set up to identify the causes and the measures required to be taken to ensure against recurrence of such incidents in future.
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