CCRS conducts safety inspection of Kolkata East-West Metro project

Kolkata (Urban Transport News): The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) carried out safety inspection of the much awaited Kolkata East-West Metro on Tuesday. It has been found that two of the six stations on the first 5 km Sector V - Salt Lake Stadium stretch have not yet been received fire safety approval from the concern department.

In absence of fire safety approval, CRS may not grant the safety clearance to start commercial run on the  stretch inspected. However, before one day before safety inspection started by CRS, Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) officials met fire department officers, urging them all over again for the fire safety clearances for all the six stations, but they fail to receive the same. It is now expected that CRS may grant approval for the only 3.5 km stretch for commencement of commercial run of Kolkata Metro.

If metro services started on this stretch, the train will run up to City Centre station as the two stations ahead Bengal Chemical and Salt Lake Stadium don’t have the mandatory fire safety clearance. On non-issuance of fire safety clearance, Jag Mohan, Director General (fire and emergency services) said,

We will take a decision, according to the law. Many issues need to be resolved first. We take decisions if there is non-compliance. There have been so many fire incidents, we must be doubly careful.

After a fire safety inspection of Kolkata East-West Metro inspection carried out by the fire department team on June 14, the team refused to issue no objection certificates (NOC) for the two metro stations - Bengal Chemical and Salt Lake Stadium stations, citing the absence of their third fire exits shown in the original plan of the station buildings. Later, the team found that shanties and a Trinamool Congress party office at Duttabad occupied the stretch where the third fire exits for the station buildings were supposed to be built.