Latest news with #asYou
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 days ago
- Science
- First Post
Who is Madhavi Latha, IISc professor who spent 17 years helping build J&K's Chenab Bridge?
The Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge, has been inaugurated. G Madhavi Latha, a professor at Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Science, worked on the project as a geotechnical consultant for 17 years. The construction was beset with challenges, but she and her team adopted 'design-as-you-go' approach for the engineering marvel read more The Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The world's highest railway arch bridge, unveiled on Friday (June 6), is an engineering marvel. It is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL), which will provide all-weather rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. The Chenab Bridge stands high at 359 metres (1,178 feet) above the Chenab riverbed, 35 metres taller than the Paris' Eiffel Tower. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The construction of the bridge was a major challenge due to the region's harsh terrain. An expert in rock engineering gave her 17 years to help build the 1,315 metres long bridge. But who is she? We will take a look. Madhavi Latha's role in building Chenab Bridge G Madhavi Latha, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Science (IISc), spent 17 years on the Chenab Bridge project as a geotechnical consultant. A specialist in rock engineering, she was roped in by the Northern Railways and the Chenab bridge project contractor Afcons to advise them on slope stabilisation and bridge foundation. This was to ensure the bridge could withstand very harsh natural conditions, including wind speeds of more than 220 kmph. With a lifespan of 120 years, the Chenab bridge can resist high-velocity winds with speeds up to 260 kmph, extreme temperatures, earthquakes, and hydrological impacts if water levels rise. The Chenab bridge's design and construction have been done by a joint venture comprising Afcons Infrastructure, South Korea-based Ultra Construction & Engineering Company, and VSL India. Speaking to Deccan Herald (DH), Latha said, 'IISc was the consultant for slope stabilisation and foundation, whereas foreign firms were involved in making the steel arch. Planning of the bridge started in 2005, and it was completed in 2022 when trial runs with full-speed trains were carried out.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This unsupported steel arch has a length of about half a kilometre. It rests on the left and right abutments, along with eight piers, on the slopes. During the construction, Professor Latha's team adopted a 'design-as-you-go" approach, meaning they had to adapt in real-time depending on geological conditions such as fractured rocks, hidden cavities, and different rock properties, not evident in early surveys. Last month, the article, Design as You Go: The Case Study of Chenab Railway Bridge, published in the Women's Special issue of the Indian Geotechnical Journal by Dr Latha laid out the challenges that they faced while constructing the bridge over the past 17 years. 'The construction of a civil engineering marvel like the Chenab bridge posed many challenges from planning to completion. A rigid design with fixed dimensions and pre-determined solutions would not have been feasible, considering the continuously evolving geological and geotechnical conditions,' she noted in the article. 'The design-as-you-go approach adopted in this project made the construction of the bridge possible despite the critical challenges encountered in every stage during the 17 years of its construction period,' the professor added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Due to high rock discontinuities and steep slopes, a major challenge was to construct the Chenab bridge 's arch abutments and foundations for piers on the slopes. The solution found by Latha and other project engineers was to use the technique of cement grouting with pieces of rock and steel rods for reinforcement, reported DH. Who is Madhavi Latha? Professor Madhavi Latha completed her PhD in geotechnical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. She was teaching at IIT Guwahati before she joined the IISc in 2004. Dr Latha, who was the first female faculty member at IISc at the time, had to fight to get a toilet for women. 'Back then, there were no exclusive toilets for women in the department. There were only men's toilets. I had to really fight to get a women's toilet in the geotechnical engineering building,' IISc says on its website, quoting the professor. Soon after PM Modi inaugurated the Chenab bridge, IISc took to X to laud her, 'We are proud of Prof Madhavi Latha & her team's contribution to the #ChenabBridge inaugurated by Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi. The team worked on stability of slopes, design & construction of foundations, design of slope stabilisation systems, incl. rock anchors to withstand hazards.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD BJP MP Tejasvi Surya also hailed Latha for her contributions to building the Chenab bridge. Congratulating the civil engineer, he wrote, 'Your role in this engineering marvel inspires young minds, especially women in STEM, to lead in nation-building.' Congratulations to Prof. Madhavi Latha of @iiscbangalore for your remarkable contribution to the #ChenabBridge — the world's highest railway arch bridge, inaugurated today by PM Shri @NarendraModi. Your role in this engineering marvel inspires young minds, especially women in… — Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) June 6, 2025 Latha is currently the Chair of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST). She has won laurels over the years. In 2021, Latha bagged the Best Woman Geotechnical Researcher award by the Indian Geotechnical Society. She also made it to the Top 75 Women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) of India in 2022. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Meet Dr Madhavi Latha, the IISc professor who dedicated 17 years for the Chenab Bridge
The Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir is the highest bridge in the world and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The project is part of the 272 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), which was approved in 2003. One of the major contributors to the construction of the engineering marvel is Dr G Madhavi Latha , a professor at the Indian Institute of Science ( IISc ) in Bengaluru. She was involved for 17 years in the Chenab Bridge project as a geotechnical consultant. Latha worked closely with Afcons, the contractor of the bridge, in the planning, design and construction of the structure, focusing on the obstacles due to the terrain. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Chuck Norris Begs Seniors: Avoid These 3 Foods Like The Plague Roundhouse Provisions Learn More Undo Who Is G Madhavi Latha? Madhavi Latha is currently a HAG professor at IISc. She completed her in Civil Engineering in 1992 from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, where she achieved first class with distinction. She then bagged a gold medal as an student at the National Institute of Technology, Warangal with a specialisation in Geotechnical Engineering . Further, Latha completed her doctorate from IIT-Madras in 2000 in Geotechnical Engineering. Live Events She has received several awards over the years, including the Best Woman Geotechnical Researcher award by the Indian Geotechnical Society in 2021. She was also named in the Top 75 Women in STEAM of India in 2022. Role In Chenab Bridge Project The bridge is an extremely challenging project due to the adverse topography, weather conditions and remote location. Latha's team adopted a 'design-as-you-go approach' to overcome the obstacles. They innovated in real time based on geological conditions such as fractured rocks, hidden cavities, and varying rock properties, which were not evident in early surveys. The team made complex calculations and design modifications to work around the actual rock mass conditions they found during the construction. Latha's contributions included advice on the design and placement of rock anchors to improve stability. She has recently published a paper in the Indian Geotechnical Journal's women's special issue titled 'Design as You Go: The Case Study of Chenab Railway Bridge.' The paper describes how the design of the bridge has evolved continuously, with the overall structure, location and type being the only constants to suit the geological conditions of the site. About Chenab Bridge The Chenab Bridge, described as the "biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history' by the government is built at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore. The 359-metre bridge is taller than the Eiffel Tower by 35 metres. It is set to improve connectivity in the Kashmir valley.
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Tesco customer 'humiliated' after supermarket staff accused him of shoplifting
The Tesco customer, Andrew Kennedy, shared their experience at the supermarket store in Surrey over the weekend on X. The post - which has since went viral - has been seen by 6.8million people Tesco has been forced to apologise after a customer was left "humiliated" after a technical glitch led multiple shop workers to accuse him of shoplifting. The Tesco customer, Andrew Kennedy, shared their experience at the supermarket store in Surrey over the weekend on X. In summary, he said, the supermarket chain "accused me of shoplifting, humiliated me in front of other people, wasted my time and forced me to be late for a reunion, your incompetence led to my card being blocked, [and] you took £75.92 from my bank account." The series of posts has since gone viral, with many sharing sympathy for Andrew's experience. Andrew opened the thread by sharing that he had gone to a Tesco store on Good Friday to pick up food for a weekend with friends. He used the supermarket's Scan as You Go option, and after completing his shop, he paid £75.92 for his groceries using Apple Pay. Andrew noted that the self-service option was his go-to way to shop at Tesco. However, as he was leaving the shop, Andrew said a Tesco staff member approached him to tell him he hadn't paid. Thinking it may have been an easy mistake, he followed the worker. In the post to X, he explained: "As I left the store, an assistant ran after me and said: 'I am afraid you haven't paid for your groceries, and I must ask you to accompany me back into the shop." She did this quietly and discreetly and thinking there was an error I happily went back inside. Andrew showed the staff member his banking app, which showed the pending payment for the supermarket shop. Another colleague was also called over, who, after Andrew's explanation, called out across the checkouts: "This guy hasn't paid for his groceries." Finally, a supervisor came over, but according to Andrew, they then accused him of attempting a scam, even though there was no evidence of this. The shop assistant told their colleague: "You need to watch out for this, quite often they do two identical shops, pay for one, then use the payment to avoid paying for the second." In his X post, Andrew said: "I don't know if this happens, but in this case, there was no evidence to suggest I had done such a thing and your assistant was openly inferring that I was a shop lifter." He was then told he needed to pay for the shop again. Andrew said he was "angry" and felt "humiliated" by the whole ordeal, but as he was "running out of time", he agreed to pay again so he could leave. However, his bank noticed the identical transaction and blocked the card. Tesco staff then said he would have to pay another way if he wanted his groceries. This was when Andrew decided to leave the supermarket. Despite him abandoning the shopping, the transaction went through after the weekend, leaving him £75.92 out of pocket. When he approached Tesco for help, they told him he needed to provide evidence that he hadn't taken the shopping and return to the store with his card to get a refund. However, as he was visiting friends that weekend, Andrew said this would involve a "120-mile round trip", "£35 worth of petrol" and "three hours of my time". "At every level on this Tesco, you and your staff have comprehensively failed," Kennedy said. "You should actually be ashamed of yourselves." In the X post, he added: "Had I been emotionally vulnerable or had some form of learning disability, or being old and confused, this appalling treatment could have resulted in trauma. You should actually be ashamed of yourselves. I am now giving you an opportunity to redeem yourselves as follows: "1. Immediately refund my money 2. Issue a comprehensive written apology for my treatment 3. Retrain your staff at Hurst Park on how to treat people with respect 4. Make a donation of £100 to Young Minds charity which supports young people dealing with mental health issues." In an update shared yesterday, Andrew confirmed that Tesco had reached out to him to apologise for what had happened and were refunding the payment. Alongside this, the supermarket chain also told Andrew it had donated money to the Young Minds Charity. Join Money Saving Club's specialist topics In a conclusion post, Andrew said: "Whenever something like this happens I ask myself how I would feel if it happened to my mum. She was of a generation who were deferential to authority and would have accepted what she was told, even when she knew she was in the right. "My mum is now sadly dead, but I fight petty authority like this for thousands like her and for those who don't have a voice. Thank you to the 1.3 million who read my Tweets and the thousands who liked my post and retweeted it." A statement has since been issued by Tesco on the incident, with the spokesperson saying: "Unfortunately, a fault with a scan as you shop handset at our West Moseley Superstore meant that it incorrectly indicated that Mr Kennedy's payment had not been completed. We are really sorry that this happened and have reached out to Mr Kennedy to apologise for how the matter was handled as it fell below the high standards that we would expect."
