The  Times of India              08.11.2010

HYDERABAD: Though a survey was taken up for checking structural stability and safety aspects of flyovers, bridges and causeways in Greater Hyderabad a year ago, the final report is yet to be submitted by Bangalore-based Stup Consultants.

After scaffolding of the then under-construction Punjagutta flyover collapsed and a series of flyover mishaps, doubts were expressed on the condition of bridges, which were constructed a few decades ago, in the city.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) had decided to go ahead with a detailed survey of all bridges after the Telugu Thalli flyover at Tank Bund developed ragged gaps due to distressed joints on the carriageway. The defects were rectified by the Corporation in 2009.

After inviting tenders last year, the Rs 50 lakh contract of making an inventory of the infrastructure and investigating their current status was entrusted to Bangalore-based Stup Consultants.

Officials said there are 45 flyovers, Rail Over Bridges (ROB), causeways and other bridges in Greater Hyderabad. They include flyovers at Tarnaka, Masab Tank, YMCA-Secunderabad, CTO-Secunderabad, Old Airport-Begumpet, Telugu Thalli junction, Basheerbagh and Narayanguda. The ROBs at Lalapet, Khairatabad and Begumpet were part of this study. Major bridges, which are more than 60 metres long, like Imliban, Nayapul bridge (old and new), Muslimjung bridge (old) and Puranapul bridge. Two causeways at Moosarambagh was also checked by the consultant.

"Many flyovers and bridges were constructed by the erstwhile Hyderabad Urban Development Authority and Roads and Buildings (R&B) department. These bridges have to be checked periodically, but it was not happening," a senior GHMC official said.

Officials said the consultant had to submit all reports within four months. However, many reports were yet to be submitted to the corporation. Based on the survey report, repairs and other works, if needed, would be carried out by the corporation.

Sources said survey of about 25 flyovers and bridges were completed and the consultant submitted reports to the Corporation. The reports said most flyovers and bridges do not have any major problems except minor defects at expansion joints and bearings of some flyover need to be replaced.

Recently, the GHMC had carried out repairs of the Dabeerpura ROB and Khairatabad flyover, whose expansion joints were repaired. When contacted, GHMC chief engineer R Dhan Singh said the consultant had submitted almost all reports, but some were returned as they were not comprehensive and had not fulfilled all aspects of the survey.

The  Times of India               08.11.2010

CHENNAI: Almost six years after the tsunami struck its coast and nine months after the University of Madras came out with a vulnerability atlas, the city is yet to put in place a comprehensive disaster risk reduction protocol. Incidentally, Chennai Corporation is one of the member bodies adopting the Incheon regional roadmap on disaster risk reduction (DRR) following the Asian ministerial conference on DRR which concluded in South Korea recently.

According to Corporation mayor M Subramanian, flood mitigation measures are the equivalent of implementing DRR measures in the city. "We are working with the public works department (PWD) on a Rs 1,447-crore project under JNNURM to refurbish 22 waterways in the city. We will provide concrete protection walls and execute the project so that there won't be any flooding within two years. Similarly, we are making arrangements for water to drain from Otteri nullah into the Cooum. Drains will be constructed from Porur lake to drain into Cooum to prevent flooding in Virugambakkam and from Veerangal to drain into Buckingham Canal. Residents of huts living along the river banks in Chintadripet are being relocated," he said.

However, experts point out that this is only a small dimension of creating a holistic disaster response mechanism. Risk and vulnerability identification, as per the study submitted by the University of Madras to the Corporation in February earlier this year, is a starting point, they added.

Prepared after the 2004 tsunami that hit the southern coast, the study, which was carried out by the university's department of applied geology and Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management Directorate (ICMAM), maps the extent of inundation along the stretch between Pulicat and Kovalam. It also identifies settlements along the shore that would be affected by a tsunami.

For instance, Ennore Kuppam near Ennore creek has been declared an unsafe zone as the water inundation touched the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) of 500m, which is the official boundary for residential dwellings. Similarly, the Chepauk inundation zone was marked unsafe along with Santhome which experienced the greatest inundation of 763m through the Adyar river. While the Kasimedu inundation zone was declared a limited safe zone extending up to 143m, the study found that water had spread up to the CRZ limit in Sholinganallur as well.

"The state disaster management authority (SDMA) was formed two years ago under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 but it has not been implemented. It says all districts should have local units for disaster management with standard operating procedures. Post-tsunami, we have had massive rehabilitation but mitigation and disaster risk reduction activities have not yet happened," said K M Parivelan, independent consultant on disaster management, who conducts training programmes on the subject for municipal bodies.

Noting that community participation was the most important, he said, "We need to incorporate preparedness at the school-level, in industries and offices on how to evacuate buildings in case of an emergency. We need to impact a culture of preparedness at the family level."

In addition, natural protection was also important. Suitable vegetation could be planted along river banks, said Dr B R Subramanian, project director, ICMAM. "Vital structures such as hospitals or nuclear power plants can be identified and provided protection with the help of elevation contour maps. District administrations can ensure that the height of roads is raised so that people can run in the event of a tsunami. If the 2004 tsunami had occurred off Car Nicobar, for instance, the water would have to spread two to three km inland in Chennai. It would have submerged the whole city," he said.