KMC to demolish unsafe buildings; 150 ‘high-risk’ structures under scanner

Kolkata: In the wake of the recent incident of roof collapse in the Karaya area, which killed one person and injured four others, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is preparing a city-wide drive to pull down dangerously dilapidated buildings that threaten both occupants and pedestrians.

Civic officials said the exercise will focus on structures that are no longer structurally sound and cannot be made safe through repairs. The action will be taken under the provisions of the KMC Building Rules that empower the Municipal Commissioner to order demolition of insecure portions of buildings found to be beyond repair. Officials said this authority is meant to ensure swift intervention in cases where delay could result in accidents or loss of life.

A recent inspection and survey by the civic body has flagged nearly 300 buildings across Kolkata as being in a fragile condition. Many of these structures are particularly vulnerable during spells of heavy rain. Of the total identified, over 150 buildings have been placed under close monitoring, with engineers recommending immediate demolition of unsafe portions in several cases.

The most severely dilapidated buildings are spread across Boroughs I to IX, largely in older neighbourhoods with dense habitation. Areas with a high concentration of such structures include Cossipore, Burtolla, Burrabazar, Rabindra Sarani, Pathuriaghata, Beadon Street, Chittaranjan Avenue, College Street, Amherst Street, Ripon Street, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Park Circus, Topsia and Ballygunge.

The civic body plans to offer additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR) to enable owners to redevelop unsafe buildings while making provisions to accommodate existing tenants in the reconstructed structures.

Millennium Post had reported on December 30 that in a recent case concerning a dispute over a dilapidated property, the Calcutta High Court ruled that safety-related directions issued by civic authorities cannot be put on hold merely because a civil property dispute is pending. The court underscored that public safety considerations must override private disagreements.