KMC to compile a fresh list of tenants living inside dilapidated buildings

KOLKATA: With part of a building collapsing in Kolkata in the Sealdah area trapping five persons inside, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to draw up a fresh list of all the tenants residing in such structures which need urgent demolition.

The incident where a part of the staircase of the building collapsed has stirred civic body officials who fear the number of collapse incidents of such structures may increase in the coming monsoon.

In this incident, five people were stuck inside the property as the staircase on the third floor collapsed. The incident was preceded by another one at Bowbazar where a portion of a market building collapsed. There are more than 2000 such buildings in the city that remain vulnerable.

The civic body, in 2022, identified about 150 buildings in the city that need demolition to avoid a catastrophe. However, the main hurdle that the building department of the civic body is facing in this endeavour is that residents or tenants of these buildings show staunch resistance against any demolition work, besides they do not agree with the proposal to vacate the space for their safety.

A KMC official said that in most such buildings there are legal disputes between owner and tenants.

“Owners say they do not have the money to carry out maintenance while tenants complain that it is the duty of the owner to carry out maintenance since they are paying rent. In due course of this argument, one day the structure collapses either leading to injuries or deaths,” the official said.

A KMC source said that the building department was tasked with compiling a list of such tenants who occupy spaces in such ‘dangerous buildings’ listed under KMC. This list was to be handed over to the assessment department so a record can be kept about the amount of space occupied by the tenants so that in case of demolition, they can be allotted the same space, or awarded an extra floor area ratio. However, this process is yet to begin. A new list is now being drawn up, said the KMC source.

Following the Bowbazar market building collapse, Mayor Firhad Hakim said that KMC needs to come up with a policy to ensure the maintenance of such dilapidated buildings. “We will draw up the policy and send it to the state government for approval. Further, in case we find any damaged portions in these old buildings that are posing a threat to public safety, we will demolish them,” said Hakim.