'Pull down the buildings before work resumes'

Kolkata: Senior civil engineers who had worked both in public and private sectors opined that the Metro Rail authorities should acquire all the buildings on Durga Pituri Lane and pull them down before resuming construction of the underground tunnel of the East-West Metro.

Eight buildings on Durga Pituri Lane had developed cracks due to the Metro construction. The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) suspended the work of the tunnel in view of monsoon. The experts of Jadavpur University have submitted reports to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

The engineers who had visited the area on their own suggested that the Metro Rail authorities should request the state government to acquire the houses at market cost. Then those structures should be pulled down before resuming construction work of the underground tunnel. They maintained that foundation of most of the buildings that are anything between 75 and 100 years old are weak. They are unable to withstand the load of construction. They said all the buildings near the Viswanath temple in Varanasi had been acquired by the government and the residents had been paid handsomely. They said further delay would enhance the cost of construction. They are planning to meet Mayor Firhad Hakim to give a report.