Prof Kishen, who submitted a 27-page report to BMRCL, stated that the 18 metre structure which killed a mother and her son was not a single piece structure but a combination of two structures overlapping each other.

Following a report submitted by Professor Chandra Kishen of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on the reinforcement cage collapse that took place on January 10, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has now changed the standard operating procedure of casting the reinforcement cage.

Anjum Parvez, managing director of BMRCL, said that the construction of pillars that are above 12 metre will be halted in the 2A and 2B Metro phases connecting Central Silk Board with Kempegowda International Airport.

Parvez said, “We will be switching to two-stage casting for pillars that are above 12 metre. We have also stopped work on all reinforcement cages that are above 12 metre. Work has been undertaken on reinforcement cages that are less than 12 metre.”

Prof Kishen, who submitted a 27-page report to BMRCL, stated that the 18 metre structure which killed a mother and her son was not a single piece structure but a combination of two structures overlapping each other. Kishen explained that with the overlapping structure causing bending and the supporting structures of the reinforcement cage not properly designed, the whole 18 metre reinforcement structure collapsed. Parvez added that changes to the standard operating procedures of building the pillars would be made as per the IISc report, including switching to two stage casting, concretising the structure at the earliest among others.

Meanwhile, the police department which has roped in IIT-Hyderabad to investigate the collapse is yet to make any arrest in the case. However, on Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court gave the state government and BMRCL two weeks’ time to respond to the suo motu PIL taken up by the court over the January 10 collapse of the pillar which killed a young woman and her two-year-old son. The High Court issued notices to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, BMRCL and contractor Nagarjuna Construction Company.