Five-member panel set up to examine safety concerns about new Pamban Bridge: Vaishnaw
The Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Circle, recently inspected the bridge as per norms and pointed out certain deficiencies with a direction to rectify these before starting passenger as well as freight train operations.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw; New Pamban Bridge
NEW DELHI: The Railway Ministry has set up a five-member panel to address the safety concerns raised by the rail safety commissioner about the new Pamban Bridge, India's first vertical-lift bridge connecting the mainland with Rameswaram.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Circle, recently inspected the bridge as per norms and pointed out certain deficiencies with a direction to rectify these before starting passenger as well as freight train operations.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "We have set up a five-member committee under the guidance of Additional Members (Bridges) of the Railway Board which will examine the concerns raised by the Commissioner of Railway Safety."
"The committee has bridge experts from the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and the Southern Railways along with an independent safety consultant," he said while interacting with reporters on Thursday.
He said an in-depth safety analysis will be done by the committee in one-and-a-half months to address all aspects of the bridge's design.
Unattested SR note assures Pamban bridge proof-check
Describing the 2.05-km-long Pamban bridge with a unique 72-metre vertical lift span as one of its kind in the country, the clarification note issued by SR – but without attributing it to any official – said that international consultant TYPSA designed the steel bridge. “The bridge is designed with European and Indian codes. Its design was proof-checked by IIT-Madras.”
Attempting to address the issue of the railway ministry not involving the RDSO in designing the bridge, the SR clarification said, “Being designed by the foreign consultant, the Railway Board envisaged technical limitations in examination of design by Railways and RDSO. The Railway Board decided on an additional proof check of design by IIT Bombay. After double-checking the proof, Southern Railway approved the design of the bridge. So, the bridge has been constructed based on the design by a reputed international consultant duly proof-checked by two of the most premier institutes of the country.”
Clarifying that the modification in the RDSO design for approach girders to suit local constraints was proof-checked by IIT Madras and IIT Bombay and approved by SR, the note added that the welding of structural members, a crucial aspect of the efficacy of the structure has been checked 100 per cent by using the latest Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing, and 100 per cent checked by Welding Research Institute, Tiruchy and test checked by SR.
On the issue of corrosion in the structure flagged by the CRS, the unattested SR note said, “For corrosion protection, a special painting scheme used in extreme corrosion-prone areas in the world using polysiloxane paint with a design life of 35 years has been implemented. Use of stainless steel reinforcement in reinforced concrete construction, fully welded box section in lift span, completely avoiding splice joints in the approach span girders, FRP in pathways, inspection arrangements and handrails are among the innovative features to counter corrosion protection.”
