Rain adds to chaos at Metro Rail sites

If you thought that the intermittent rains that have been lashing the city were hard on the suburban roads and motorists, spare a thought for the Chennai Metro Rail workmen. Having to work on the city’s most ambitious transit project till date means that most of them have to continue working through the rain, albeit while following a regulated series of safety protocols.

In fact, two days after the rains, CMRL workers are still dealing with the 54mm of rain that lashed Chennai over the weekend. The main problem they faced on the elevated corridors was the issue of wet cement. “It takes roughly an hour to pour the cement and the concrete takes about three hours to set. With the rains, it not only took a longer time to set, but in some areas, we also had to remove the cement altogether and pour new cement,” complained workmen at a busy site near Koyambedu. Wastage of cement and concrete aside, the process of disposing of sludge while vehicles are passing under the elevated corridors is something of a challenge, they added.

Piling work for the columns was also affected as the pits dug for foundation filled up with water and slush, making it difficult for the workers to pump it out and resume work. “We just marked the place and let it be for the time being. We haven’t touched it yet. We are waiting till the area dries out enough,” they told City Express on Monday. By Tuesday, though the sun had peeked from behind the clouds, workers were still wary of the evening rains .

Work at the underground stations seems relatively easier, but removing the excavated earth when it is wet has proved to be a problem, according to workers. “The earth is already slushy due to the moisture underneath. The rain slowed us down more than usual. Welding work has also slowed down due to the rain,” they rued.

When contacted, a CMRL spokesperson said that there had been no problem with rain water as there were specific pumps set up to drain the water.

“Either the water flows into the drains or the pumps take it out. Workers do not face problems in that area,” he said.