Experts to submit final report this week on damages: Hakim

KOLKATA: Mayor Firhad Hakim said on Thursday that the final report regarding the condition of the buildings in central Kolkata's Bowbazar area that have been damaged while executing the East-West Metro work is expected to be submitted by the end of this week.

"In the interim report, the experts from Jadavpur University indicated that 71 buildings have been damaged and some of them are beyond repair. In the final report, they will also offer suggestions about what should be done with these buildings. The Metro railway authorities will have to abide by the suggestions of the experts," Hakim said.

The Mayor said that some people who have been rendered destitute and are presently being lodged in hotels because of damage to their houses have claimed that they will not shun their land rights.

"Once we get the report, we will hold a meeting in presence of Metro authorities, KMC and the affected families and the decision regarding the building and the shifting of the residents will be taken based on what they want," Hakim said.

The Mayor alleged that the matter has already been taken up at the Chief Secretary level and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself was present virtually and shared her opinion and directions.

"So we are hopeful that the matter will be taken up at the ministry level in Delhi. Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Ltd (KMRCL) has not provided any physical report regarding the matter to us," he added.

Local Councillor Biswarup Dey said that there have been three instances since 2019 when situations have been such that residents needed to be evacuated overnight.

"A good number of houses that have been damaged are three-storied ones with 14 rooms, with a thakur dalan (space for worship). So it is a challenge to restore such buildings or construct a new one in adjustment with the space," Dey said.

He added that underground work is a highly technical issue so continuous monitoring is very much necessary.

"But similar incidents of cracks and damages developing thrice is an indication that there have been lacunae in this," he added.