In the aftermath of a man being killed following the collapse of a portion of a wall at Gokulpuri metro station on the Pink Line, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has removed concrete structures and installed stainless steel railings in five elevated stations on the line.
A senior DMRC official said they inspected all the elevated stations on the line and identified five, including Gokulpuri, Jafrabad, Welcome, East Azad Nagar and Krishna Nagar, for further action. "The concrete structure near the platform called parapets installed at all elevated stations of the Pink Line were inspected. We removed the concrete structure from the five stations and replaced it with stainless steel railings," the official said.
He added that they have also installed rainwater down pipes at the stations to bring the rainwater from the roof to the ground. “We also installed saucer drains to dispose of the extra stormwater," the official added.
A portion of a wall of the elevated Gokulpuri metro station in northeast Delhi collapsed on February 8, killing a 53-year-old man and injuring four. The DMRC official said waterproofing of the drains was also done in stations where required.
Waterproofing ensures that there is no leakage and the water can easily drain out, the official said and added that regular inspection and monitoring was being conducted. DMRC Managing Director Vikas Kumar said that they had repaired the safety angle of all the metro stations.
"The lifespan of civil structures of the metro is 100 years. We have repaired the safety angle of all the metro stations and some finishing work is to be done. It was a very unfortunate incident and such things should not be repeated. There was some technical issue that led to the incident," Kumar said.
The Pink Line connects Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar. Vinod Kumar Pandey was on his scooter to deliver rice to a shopkeeper when he was struck by debris from the collapsed wall. Following the incident, the DMRC ordered safety checks across its entire network.
The DMRC had suspended a manager and a junior engineer from its civil department, pending an inquiry, and ordered a probe into the incident.
