Kolkata: The Kolkata Metro Railway has floated an e-tender worth Rs 89.75 lakh to tackle seepage across several points of its north–south corridor.
The tender, issued by the Principal Chief Engineer, is to arrest seepage on track beds, tunnels, stations, ventilation shafts, box walls, floors, mezzanine levels and ceilings. The work involves grouting with cement mixed with non-shrink waterproofing compound and cementitious grout on both Up and Down tracks, covering pit lines and ballast-less stretches between Kavi Subhash (New Garia) and Central stations, as well as the Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Kavi Subhash yards and carshed.
The project carries a nine-month deadline, with bid submissions closing at 12 noon on September 9 through the Railways’ e-procurement portal.
Officials said the decision follows a preliminary study by RITES, which highlighted deterioration in several underground structures. The report pointed to three key concerns, the condition of track beds, diaphragm walls and tunnels and the stability of platforms and supporting columns.
The latest tender comes against the backdrop of serious structural problems at Kavi Subhash Metro station. On July 28, services had to be curtailed up to Shahid Khudiram after cracks appeared in four columns of the Dakshineswar-bound (Up) platform, which had been showing signs of subsidence for months. Heavy rainfall worsened the damage, forcing authorities to close the terminal indefinitely.
In response, Metro Railway floated another tender worth Rs 9.4 crore for demolition and reconstruction of the affected Up platform at Kavi Subhash. The scope of work includes dismantling the platform shed, rebuilding the columns and platform, and reinstalling the shed. The tender opened for bids on August 5 and will close on August 19. It, too, has a nine-month completion deadline. Metro officials clarified that the Down platform at Kavi Subhash remains safe, but the Up platform requires complete rebuilding. A senior official admitted that while a major repair drive had been planned post-Puja, the worsening condition forced authorities to advance the work.