cracks in the Ripon building, Chennai thehindu.com |
cracks in the Ripon building, Chennai newindianexpress.com |
Above image: City corporation puts sandbags to hold up a part of the 106-year-old Ripon Building, Chennai to stop further damages.... ..
According to the TOI report (Nov.11, 20180, ''Every wall and room in the 106-year-old heritage building, s seat of the civic body, sports at least one crack, with some .employees saying the supporting structures in some parts are falling apart''.
Various media reports point out that the cracks developed in 2012 itself when Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) began drilling near the historical building, but the cracks were promptly fixed. However in 2015, the cracks re-appeared and caused some anxiety to the civic officials and others involved in the rail project. Several of the minor cracks become bigger enough to seek the technical advice of the structural engineers. now. In 2016, a team from IIT Madras’s structural engineering department, upon study, suggested that the cause of cracks was due to drilling. However, no conclusive opinion was made by them. During the metro rail work was in progress in 2012, it was observed that countless buildings close to the line of work developed cracks in the walls, etc. Upon scrutiny, the corporation officials came to the conclusion that they could have been caused by leaks in the metro water pipe line along the route and the dampness could have weakened the buildings.
The civic body, the state and centra governments should look into this damages in the Ripon building, a legacy of the British in Chennai.