KMC pulls down part of dilapidated building

Kolkata: Timely intervention of Kolkata Municipal Corporation ( KMC) saved an old dilapidated building from crumbling down in the city.

The civic authorities are pulling down the dangerous portion of the century-old building on Bidhan Sarani which has not been repaired for over four decades.

It may be recalled that on Tuesday, three members of a family who had been staying in an old dilapidated building was killed after a portion of the structure fell on them.

The civic authorities had asked them to vacate the premises in view of the poor condition of the structure.

Local people saw bricks peeling off of the roof of the three-storeyed building. Without delay, they informed KMC and the local Councillor.

A civic team went to the site and began pulling down the dangerous portion of the building. A portion of the pavement in front of the building has been cordoned off. People walk under the building and a major accident might have taken place any time. Because of sustained campaign by KMC against old dilapidated building, local people could inform the civic authorities on time.

Civil engineers said in case of old buildings, the bricks first peel off and this continues for some time followed by the roof collapsing.

Meanwhile, the civic authorities on Thursday issued notices to the owners of several old and dilapidated buildings that have not been repaired for decades asking them to get the health of the structures tested by empanelled engineers. In case they fail to repair the buildings, KMC will acquire them and hand them over to builders who in turn will pull them down and construct new houses with proper rehabilitation of the owners and the tenants.

There are over 2,000 such buildings in the city. Most of these structures are situated in North, South and central Kolkata.

KMC is preparing a list of old buildings where the owners could not be traced. A six -member committee headed by the joint municipal commissioner has been set up to look into the conditions of the old buildings. Mayor Sovan Chatterjee has requested the Councillors of all the political parties to inform the civic authorities about old and ill maintained structures in their area.

The Councillors have also been requested to get in touch with the owners and tenants of old buildings to persuade them to vacate the houses so that the structures could be pulled down to set up new houses.