News Highlights(16 Aug 2020)

 Delhi Metro Begins Work On Building First Cantilever Metro Bridge Over Yamuna

The bridge, with eight spans and nine piers, will connect Soorghat metro station and Sonia Vihar metro station of the Pink Line.

New Delhi: 

The DMRC has commenced preliminary work on the construction of the fifth metro bridge over the river Yamuna as part of its Phase-IV work on the Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor, officials said on Sunday.

The new 560-metre-long bridge will come up between two existing bridges on the Yamuna i.e. Wazirabad Bridge and the Signature Bridge. It will be the first-ever metro bridge over the Yamuna to be built using cantilever construction technique, they said.

The bridge, with eight spans and nine piers, will connect Soorghat metro station and Sonia Vihar metro station of the Pink Line.

"After carrying out geo-technical investigation at the location of proposed piers, the activity of casting of test piles is in progress," The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a statement.

Currently, there are four bridges of Delhi Metro on the river Yamuna, viz, at Yamuna Bank (698.8 m on Blue Line), Nizamuddin (602.8 m on Pink Line), Kalindi Kunj (574 m on Magenta Line), and Shastri Park (553 m on Red Line), it said.

To utilise the available time during this monsoon season, a cofferdam has been constructed, away from the active course of the Yamuna, by raising the level of the ground by filling of earth and sand with protection of its slope through bamboo, jute netting and sand bags, the officials said.

The level of the cofferdam has been kept same as that of the adjacent road to ensure supply of requisite construction material like steel reinforcement, metal liner, ready mix concrete etc, they said.

"This will be the first-ever metro bridge over Yamuna to be built using the cantilever construction method. A cantilever is a rigid structural element which extends horizontally and is supported at only one end," the statement said.

Typically, it extends from a flat, vertical surface such as a wall or a pier, to which it must be firmly attached. Cantilever construction allows overhanging structures without additional support. Employment of this technology will make the bridge look aesthetically better, the DMRC said.

The design of the bridge was finalised using the "Building Information Modelling" (BIM) technology. With the help of this technology, a 3D model of the bridge was uploaded with intricate details of the proposed structure.

For the finalisation of the Phase-IV designs, DMRC engineers are using the BIM platform, through which they have been able to finalise the designs even during the days of the pandemic when physical meetings weren't possible, the officials said.

This new bridge will cross river Yamuna at about 385 m downstream of old Wazirabad Bridge and 213 m upstream of the existing Signature Bridge, the DMRC said.

"All mandatory approvals from the agencies concerned have been obtained for the construction of the bridge. The DMRC is committed to fulfil the conditions given by Principal Committee on Yamuna for construction of the bridge," the statement said.

Various eco-friendly measures will be taken during its construction.

All the construction activities are being carried out with minimum effect on the floodplains.

"BJP Controls Facebook": US Media Report Fuels Rahul

Gandhi's Attack

Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of spreading "fake news and hatred" through Facebook and using it to influence the electorate. The BJP pointed to the Cambridge Analytica issue.

New Delhi: 

An article by a foreign publication, alleging that Facebook overlooks hate speech by BJP leaders, became the latest flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP today. While the Congress posted the article as evidence of the alleged social media manipulation by the BJP, the ruling party cited the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and said the Congress should not point fingers.

In the article titled "Facebook Hate-Speech Rules Collide With Indian Politics -- Company executive opposed move to ban controversial politician", the Wall Street Journal  reported that Facebook looks the other way in cases of hate speech and objectionable content from leaders and workers of the ruling BJP.

The Journal also reported that an executive of the social media giant had said punishing violations by BJP workers "would damage the company's business prospects in the country". Quoting current and former employees, the article said Facebook has a "broader pattern of favouritism" towards the BJP.

Congress's Rahul Gandhi -- who has been targeting the BJP every day on social media over its handling of the coronavirus, the state of the economy and the violence in Ladakh – tweeted.