Several families shifted to hotel after formation of cavity on road during Surat metro rail work
Surat (PTI): Around 20-25 families were evacuated and shifted to a hotel after a 10-11 feet deep cavity was formed on the road along the metro rail corridor in Shahpore area of Gujarat's Surat district, officials said on Thursday.
Experts from Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT) and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) are monitoring the site along with metro rail personnel, they added.
The cavity was reported on Wednesday while metro rail construction was underway.
Officials said 20-25 families of nearby buildings were temporarily evacuated and accommodated in a hotel as a precautionary measure.
"There are a lot of underground pipes and cables in this cavity area, and the backfilled soil in this area is found to be left out very loose during the execution of the utility work by agencies. This loose soil has settled, resulting in cavities. The TBM has already passed through this area and is presently 20 m away from this location," said an official release.
The cavity is mainly on the road, and there is no settlement or distress found in the nearby buildings as of now, but as a precautionary measure, these nearby buildings are vacated temporarily, the release added.
"The building settlement is being regularly monitored round the clock. The Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited (GMRCL) has also called experts from SVNIT to assess the situation as an additional precaution. The loose soil surrounding the cavity was excavated, following which concrete filling was carried out to stabilise the area," the release informed.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
