KMC cracks down on unsafe market buildings, serves notices

Kolkata: In the wake of several recent building collapses, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim on Friday said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has served notices to the owners of three major market buildings and is assessing the structural safety of several others.

Hakim informed the media that notices have been issued to the owners of Jadubabur Bazar, Bastuhara Bazar and Kalighat Market.

He noted that ownership issues complicate the situation at Jadubabur Bazar, while a renovation plan has been prepared for Bastuhara Bazar. Discussions are ongoing with the owners of Kalighat Market.

“In case of non-compliance, we will be forced to shut down the markets,” Hakim warned. The Mayor added that KMC is reviewing the structural condition of approximately 300 private markets across the city. The civic body also plans to renovate its own market buildings that are in poor condition.

The concern follows a string of structural collapses, including one on Thursday at 83C, Dr Suresh Sarkar Road, where a dilapidated house collapsed, injuring two residents.

In the past week, portions of ageing buildings in Janbazar and Narkeldanga also gave way, though no injuries were reported in those incidents. All three cases have raised concerns about the vulnerability of old buildings during

the monsoon.

In another incident, a building under repair in central Kolkata collapsed amid heavy rainfall, injuring three workers who were admitted to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.

Amid ongoing monsoon rains, KMC has renewed its appeal to residents and owners of structurally unsafe buildings to shift elsewhere temporarily.

“These cases highlight the immediate danger posed by structurally weak buildings during the monsoon,” a KMC official said.

“We urge occupants of such buildings to vacate them wherever possible.”