12 Kolkata: The mandatory fire safety inspection was conducted along East-West Metro's 2.6 km Esplanade-Sealdah section on Saturday. The audit from the state fire and emergency services is a prerequisite to the final safety inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) and its subsequent authorization.
When the final leg is commissioned, East-West Metro will complete its entire 16.6 km journey from Sector V to Howrah Maidan via the Hooghly. The corridor, also known as the Green Line, now runs in two separate sections — the 9.4 km Sector V-Sealdah and the 4.8 km Esplanade-Howrah Maidan. The remaining 2.6 km Esplanade-Sealdah section is being completed to link the two sections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may inaugurate the final leg of East-West Metro on April 24. Before that, the CRS must examine the new section and issue the safety approval for revenue operations. The CRS, the autonomous body under the ministry of civil aviation, grants the final approval for commercial operations of any new metro line in India. The CRS inspection, scheduled for Monday (April 14), might be postponed, sources indicated.
Meanwhile, officials of KMRC, the implementing agency of the Rs 10,000 crore East-West Metro project, were relieved that the fire safety inspection, earlier scheduled for Tuesday (April 8), could take place on Saturday.
The inspection started at 1 pm and continued until 5 pm. The audit includes evaluation of fire safety protocols and practices in high-risk environments such as an underground corridor, which contains a huge network of electricity cables. "The inspection assessed whether potential hazards were addressed to ensure optimum passenger safety. Smoke was discharged in the twin tunnels to verify the preparedness of the ventilation system and the fire prevention system," an official explained.
"The state fire and emergency personnel evaluated the integration of fire detection systems, sufficiency of fire exits, the fire suppression systems, emergency response plans, and adherence to local and national fire safety regulations," he added.
This has been the most challenging phase of East-West Metro. The Esplanade-Sealdah section passes through the subsidence-prone Bowbazar, below which a tunnel borer struck a sand aquifer, causing extensive subsidence on Aug 31, 2019. At least 25 buildings collapsed and several others were damaged.