Kolkata: In the wake of the recent collapse of a dilapidated building in Bowbazar which killed one person, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has launched a survey of all such decrepit structures in the city.
KMC sources said that the Building department has been directed to compile a fresh list of the most vulnerable structures before the monsoon sets in. Once such a list is compiled, it will be sent to the borough level executive engineers of the department. Such engineers will visit the spot for inspection and check the structural stability of the buildings concerned.
It was learnt that most of such decrepit buildings are located mainly within three boroughs: IV, V and VI. The officials will visit these areas and warn the owners of the buildings that pose immediate risk of collapse. Although a partial demolition drive was initiated in 2019 under the direction of Mayor Firhad Hakim, the department’s focus reportedly shifted following the Garden Reach collapse, prioritising the demolition of unauthorised buildings over structurally insecure ones.
The gravity of the situation was underscored on Sunday when a dilapidated, century-old building on Srinath Das Lane in Bowbazar collapsed, claiming the life of a labourer and injuring four others.
This tragedy has reignited concerns about the neglected state of many buildings in older city areas.
A senior civic official admitted that the Building department has been preoccupied with tackling illegal constructions, leading to a slowdown in the campaign against dangerous structures.
Critical zones needing immediate attention include Cossipore, Dum Dum, Paikpara, MG Road, Chitpore, Pathuriaghata Road, Bowbazar, APC Roy Road, Taltala, SN Banerjee Road and Lenin Sarani. Alarmingly, some buildings in these areas are deemed “highly dangerous”. Officials have urged occupants of structures on Elliot Road, Ripon Street and nearby lanes to evacuate.
Lalbazar police headquarters has compiled a list of unsafe buildings in central Kolkata, particularly between boroughs V and VII, and shared it with the KMC. In 2023 alone, 57 notices were issued to building owners in this belt.