ecchelmet Size and safety matter even for a tiny
island nation
A majestic view of the flyover above the M1 Road, one of the busiest motorways in Mauritius
L&T is constructing the largest transport infrastructure project in the island of Mauritius. October 9th, 2019 was a red-lettered day for the Mauritius Metro team when 12 km that constituted Phase 1 of this state-of-the-art light rail transit (LRT) project was inaugurated by the Prime Ministers of India and Mauritius. Suddenly, the Mauritians have realized the value of this new form of quick, clean, green commute to escape from their ever-growing, dense traffic, and how an improved public transport system can reduce harmful emissions and drive economic opportunities for the country. The responsibility on Project Director, G Vinod, and his team, especially Safety In-charge, R Palanikumar is to deliver the project in time, to quality and safety.
The deadline to complete Phase 1 within a stringent timeline of 2 years that included not just track works but construction of the depot and other infrastructure such as a control centre, a substation and the like was a tough enough proposition to complete without compromising on safety. “Phase 1 was also tough because we were on a steep learning curve,” remarks Vinod, setting context to the progress of the project. “We had to first understand the local conditions, the work culture, the unpredictable weather with frequent torrential rains and cyclones, the uncharted utilities, narrow roads, availability of materials, equipment & manpower.” His list is long, but he hastens to add, “our understanding is certainly standing us in good stead in our construction of Phase 2 that is on in full swing.”
Phase 1 was also tough because we were on a steep learning curve. Our understanding is certainly standing us in good stead in our construction of Phase 2 that is on in full swing.
G Vinod
Project Director
Facing the threat of working next to ‘live’ traffic
Work in full swing on the riverbed
When building the LRT, one of the most critical challenges for Palanikumar and his team has been to ensure the safety of the workforce and the public while work proceeds next to ‘live’ traffic. A particularly critical activity, he points out, was the construction of a flyover above one of the busiest motorways on the island.
“The M1 Road was a 6‑lane divided carriageway with a speed limit of 110 kmph!” He pauses, perhaps recalling the multiple control measures that they put in place to ensure that they completed that stretch without any incident. “We provided a double-layer safety catch net, resorted to lane closures, temporary traffic diversions, speed restrictions, power shutdowns to be protected from the overhead HT electrical line and much more.”
Building a new bridge next to a heritage one
The construction of the River Bridge on the GRNW (Grand River North West) was another critical activity. Apart from having to construct the bridge over the island’s main river to the catchment area in the north and west, the more critical consideration for the team was to construct this new bridge without harming an old, historic railway bridge next to it. “The 249 M long new bridge we were constructing was a mere 6.5 M away from the old one,” shares Palanikumar. The old bridge with stone piers had been in operation till the mid-60s, after which it was abandoned when the island’s rail network was removed. “It was a heritage structure and we had to be extra careful that our piling did not in
anyway harm it.”
There were more challenges in store for the team: constructing the 24 M tall pier, building the approach to the riverbed, and working on a riverbed had its own issues of flash floods and high velocity of water flow because of the gradient. “Girder launchers were not available on the island nor were they allowed, so we had to erect the girder with a crane from the flood plain,” ticking off yet another challenge but despite them all, Palanikumar smiles, “we were able to face and overcome all these challenges with proper planning, dedication and collaborative effort.”
Luckily, our pre-planning was spot on and we had sufficient stock of major materials and tools. Since our Phase 2 was in full swing, we had advance planned our materials requirement and importation.
G P Sujith
Planning Manager
Addressing more issues of men and material
Coordinating with the local workmen and subcontractors and synchronizing their pace of work with the foreign workforce was tough, more so because most of the locals only spoke the native, Creole. “We filled this gap by inducting locally graduated safety professionals into the EHS team who were closely monitored by our field staff,” says Palanikumar, again ready with a solution for an issue. Keeping the workforce safe in the face of COVID-19 has been top priority for Palanikumar and his team ever since the 57-day national confinement was lifted. “A ‘Back to Work Procedures & Guidelines’ document has been shared with all detailing the measures to be strictly adhered to by employees, workmen, subcontractors and other external stakeholders and we are doing well so far.”
Being a sea-locked island nation, Mauritius depends heavily on imports including cost-effective heavy construction machinery. Fulfilling the project’s requirements for material was a massive task that was managed by advance material procurement planning in relation to the project requirements and progress. In fact, sitting in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the pandemic induced disruption of supply chains could have been a huge deterrent for the project. “Luckily, our pre-planning was spot on and we had sufficient stock of major materials and tools,” smiles Planning Manager,
G P Sujith. “Since our Phase 2 was in full swing, we had advance planned our materials requirement and importation. Shipping time for new orders could be anywhere from 30 to 60 days but we are fine.”
Our regular EHS reviews by management has helped to continually improve our EHS performance. We have good planning, adequate resource allocation, and robust risk assessments and with our teamwork, stakeholder support and proper planning, we should be able to deliver the project on schedule.
R Palanikumar
Safety In-charge
Mauritius has an old utility network especially for water supply (managed by the Central Water Authority) and wastewater discharge (managed by the Wastewater Management Authority) that are not mapped. The team has had to contend with electricity and multiple telecom service provider lines in and around the project corridor. “The onus of tracking these unchartered utilities and relocating several of them was our additional responsibility,” says Vinod.
“Yes,” he nods, “there have been some incidents of utility damage especially in the water supply and sewer pipelines but those were proactively managed by the utility service provider and contractor’s teams.”
“Our regular EHS reviews by management has helped to continually improve our EHS performance,” shares Palanikumar in conclusion. “The client’s regular joint site visits and EHS reviews have helped but what is best is that the management is very committed to project leadership and safety. We have good planning, adequate resource allocation, and robust risk assessments and with our teamwork, stakeholder support and proper planning, we should be able to deliver the project on schedule.” Palanikumar’s optimism is encouraging.
A due recognition of Palanikumar and his team’s effort to maintain safety at the Mauritius Metro project site has been a RoSPA Gold Award. Well done!