State govt mulls proposal to rebuild Vivekananda flyover

Kolkata: The state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department is considering the proposal to reconstruct the Vivekananda flyover, after the Public Works Department (PWD) tried to shift the responsibility in this regard.

Firhad Hakim, the minister in charge of the department, said on Tuesday that they will conduct an examination regarding the structure after getting the permission from the Chief Secretary. The departmental secretary will urge the Chief Secretary in this regard.

The department will consider whether the top portions of the collapsed flyover will be removed or the entire structure will be rebuilt.

"We have held a meeting with our expert committee. After the collapse of the flyover the Chief Secretary had assigned PWD to take care of the flyover. But nothing was done in the past three years. The PWD is now saying that Kolkata Metropalitan Development Authorities (KMDA) will maintain the flyover. We have asked them to remove unlocked girders. Our department will do a structural assessment to find out if the flyover can be rebuilt only by removing the top portion of the damaged parts. We will seek permission from the Chief Secretary in this connection," Hakim said.

He added: "PWD has shifted the responsibility onto us. The decision has been pending for a long time. If the Chief Secretary permits us, we will conduct a study and try to float a tender. We will examine if the upper portions of the flyover should be brought down, keeping the pillars intact, or if a completely new structure will be set up."

The Vivekananda flyover, which connected Girish Park to Burrabazar, had collapsed on April 2016, claiming 28 lives.

The state government had formed an inquiry committee comprising former faculty members of Kharagpur IIT, to probe the collapse of the 2.2 km long flyover.

Meanwhile, the minister also said that two new flyovers will be constructed. One of them will connect Maa flyover with

Ballygunj Phari, while the other will be set up between Brace Bridge and Garden Reach flyover. The works will be started after the projects get necessary approval.