Ten families shifted after cracks found on walls of three houses

kolkata: After cracks appeared on the walls of three houses at Ratan Babu ghat and soil shifted in the area, ten families were temporarily shifted to Cossipore Harisankar Banipeeth High School.

The executive engineers from the state Irrigation and Waterways Department checked the affected area. They have proposed to build guard walls. Further steps will be taken on Wednesday.

The Deputy Mayor and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Kashipur Belgachia constituency Atin Ghosh will visit the area that falls under Ward Number 1 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The cracks were first witnessed on June 14 and as the time passed, the residents said the cracks became more prominent. A part of the front wall of another house on the same lane fell down.

The local councillor Kartick Chandra Manna was alerted and the families were shifted to the school nearby.

The investigation on the cracks had begun when on Friday the soil under a part of the road leading to Ratan Babu ghat shifted, causing panic and fear amidst the residents.

The gap was filled with sand bags and 4,000 to 8,000 litres of water to fill in the void and make the area stable. The reason for this sudden incident is unknown.

However, there are views that might have led to the tragedy. There is an underground sewage pipe, which is used to collect water and push it out into the river body from the side of the ghat.

Since 2013, the water pressure has been reduced and the ditch was closed with. The residents said that the water may have leaked from the drain causing soil to shift at the bottom.

However, officials said that the cracks may have developed as an effect of the workings on Ratan Babu Jetty under the West Bengal Transport Corporation.

The work on the Jetty has been taking place for the last two months.

The third possible reason for the devastation, according to the officials, is rats.

"Often rats make holes in the soil, which leads to gaps. Water gets collected there and ultimately results in soil shift. Moreover the foundation of the houses was also not strong," the official said.