The flyover subsidence
Engineering experts have made it known that the subsidence noticed on the Khilgaon flyover on Friday poses no risks to traffic and that all manner of vehicles can safely use it. That is certainly encouraging news, especially in light of the panic generated when reports first came in of a part of the flyover sinking a little through a displacement of three shutter plates.
But even as we are cheered by the news of the apparently secure position of the flyover, we cannot but raise some very natural questions about the incident. Of course, some of the experts have opined that the sunken part may have been there since the construction of the flyover six years ago. But that only raises the query of why no one noticed it till now. Besides, it is not very convincing for anyone to hazard a guess about the subsidence or if at all there has been a subsidence. Which leads one to the next question: to what extent is the quality of the construction of the flyover, done on local initiative, satisfactory? We believe that there is little room for complacency in the matter and indeed the authorities should go into a full-scale examination of the flyover to ensure that it stays operational.
On a broader scale, the flyover issue raises the important question of our declining water table, a factor that puts at risk such constructions as flyovers, bridges, underpasses and the like. On an immediate basis, the matter of whether the subsidence in the Khilgaon flyover has been caused by a falling water table needs thorough examination. Additionally, the authorities must double check the overall design of the flyover in order to spot any flaw that may be there.
In other words, public fears about the flyover must be swiftly allayed.
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