‘Submit soil test report if building in erosion-prone area or has underground structure’
Kolkata: The Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department (UD &MA) has made it mandatory for developers to submit soil test reports along with building plans if the structure is located within a distance of 15 metres from a waterbody and when the plot directly abuts Metro or Railway line.
The directive comes following the recent collapse of a portion of the ground floor of a four-storey building at Vidyasagar Colony, Baghajatin during lifting work, causing the entire building to tilt.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation identified 30 buildings in the city that are in a tilted position, including an under-construction building in Tangra.
The developers are directed to submit a soil test report if the building is in an area prone to soil erosion or it has underground structure. Such a report will be mandatory if the height exceeds 10m or if the site inclination is of 30 degrees
and above. The memorandum by the UD & MA department said building plan proposals should be accompanied by a structural design report duly vetted by an empanelled structural engineer.
For lifting work of tilted buildings, the owners/ lessees shall submit to the urban local body (ULB) the proposal along with credentials of the organisation that will execute the work. The ULB, if satisfied, will send the lifting mechanism details to a reputed engineering institution for necessary vetting. Permission will be given on the basis of a vetted lifting plan and structural stability certificate. All charges relevant to such work shall be borne by the owner/ developer and no damage should be inflicted upon adjoining buildings.
The ULBs were instructed to maintain vigil on unauthorised constructions and take action as per norms. No waterbody can be filled up, including embankments or natural/artificially depressed land holding, for building construction. Action will be taken as per relevant subsections of section 17 A of West Bengal Inland Fisheries Act, 1984 in the event of any contravention.
The ULBs shall issue completion certificates (CC) only when satisfied with the structural stability certificate. Permanent water and drainage connections won’t be provided without a CC.
