KMC to make structural stability certificate mandatory
Kolkata: Following the Garden Reach tragedy where an under-construction building collapse killed 13 persons, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is learnt to have decided to make structural stability certificate a mandatory provision for regularising illegal constructions.
The civic body had drawn flak from all sides after an unauthorised under-construction building in the Garden Reach area collapsed, killing 13 persons living in the surrounding shanties.
Mayor Firhad Hakim had given strict instructions to stop the menace of unauthorised buildings. However, on several occasions, the civic body allowed regularisation of such constructions against the deposition of fines by the builder. This system would now change.
It was reportedly learnt that the building department of the civic body has decided that in case of unauthorised buildings which have already been completed, a structural engineer needs to provide a structural stability certificate to regularise it. In the absence of one, an unauthorised structure will not be regularised and may face demolition threats, said sources.
The KMC gets several applications for regularisation of the unauthorised constructions. The civic body in the recent past has regularised some buildings that have slightly deviated from the original plan against payment of charges after conducting special hearings.
Now, to obtain this structural stability certificate, a builder needs to apply to the KMC, following which the civic body will check several aspects, structural stability being the main one.
However, this has also raised questions such as how can a government body regularise unauthorised constructions when its duty is to prevent such acts in the first place.
Secondly, if obtaining a structural certificate is a way to regularise unauthorised buildings then why would any developer bother to even go through the legal process of obtaining sanction. Thirdly, what is the guarantee that developers will not bribe officials to obtain such a certificate.
