Kolkata: Futnani Chambers gets prop-up touches

KOLKATA: Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), the implementing agency of East-West Metro, and ITD ITD-Cem, the construction company building the tunnels, have started taking mitigation measures inside Futnani Chambers though there’s still some time left for the tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) to pass this stretch of SN Banerjee Road. According to a KMRC survey, Futnani Chambers is the most ‘unsafe’ among 86 critical buildings standing along the Metro alignment between SN Banerjee Road and Raja Subodh Mullick Square.



TBM Chandi has just started burrowing near the SN Banerjee Road-JL Nehru Road crossing. Seven wobbly structures in the first 200m — till Regal Cinema — are also being strengthened. Among them, two buildings have already been evacuated. It won’t be until April-end that the TBM, building 10m-15m a day, reaches Futnani Chambers, after crossing the civic headquarters.

“But since this ‘mini-township’ on 6A SN Banerjee Road tops the list of unsafe buildings, extensive strengthening is needed to prepare the crumbling structure for the TBMs’ approach a month later,” said an engineer.

Futnani Chambers, which sprawls over 100 cottahs, is home to the Bata outlet for decades, apart from Aminia and Raunak hotel. The building was once home to the well-known nightclub, Golden Slipper.

Officials said tonnes of steel and truckloads of cement will be needed to strengthen the structure. ITD ITD-Cem has started preparing the list of people to be evacuated. Only those occupants who reside here — around 150 in number — will be offered hotel stay. All of them will move out a week prior to the TBMs’ scheduled arrival and will have to stay out of the premises for at least 10 days. The business establishments will also remain shut during this period.

Over the next few days, the entire ground floor, where most people live, will be fitted with steel props to support the walls and ceilings inside. Tilt metres will be placed at various corners of the building for monitoring the slightest displacement. Extensive grouting will be done as well. “Grout is a mixture of water, cement and sand, which will be injected into the concrete base of the structure so that the upheaval caused by the TBMs’ movement doesn’t inflict any harm,” explained an engineer.

“We have made elaborate reinforcing plans, which includes pre-grouting, pre-repairing, providing temporary scaffolding and steel props and grouting for strengthening the foundation. All these will be done and cracks will be repaired before and after the TBMs pass,” he said.