Another building collapse scare at Bowbazar
Hammers on an under-construction building brought the residents of the adjacent building under the open sky in scorching heat this morning.
When Pratima Das had left her house at Syakra Para Lane, she was unaware that she would never be able to enjoy the comforts of her centuries-old thakurbari again. With the memories of cracks and crevices, which were the last recollections of her home that had sheltered them through thick and thin, Pratima Das passed away in her new refuge in December 2021. She surrendered to her ailments with the only wish to relive her life in the present rubble, which was once her home.
Like Pratima, several others left for the heavenly abode while longing for years to return to their own shelters. According to the local residents, at least 23 persons have died since the mishap at Bowbazar in 2019.
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The plight of the Gupta family is nothing less. Before the subsidence at Durga Pithuri Lane in 2019, Kishore Kumar Gupta, had a flourishing timber business, owning a sawmill at Syakra Para Lane. After several structures in the area came down crashing in 2019, during the tunnelling work of the East-West Metro, his sawmill, which was located on the ground floor of his ancestral building, turned into rubble. Even though he has been given alternative space near Tiretta Bazar, the place is too small and not viable to run his business, claimed Kishore Kumar Gupta. Without business, he claimed to be suffering not only financially, but being cooped within a smaller flat compared to his two story building, it has also taken a toll over his health.
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While the authorities of the implementing agency are hoping to complete the reconstruction of the damaged buildings by December 2024, the residents are claiming they would thank their stars if the promise is fulfilled. “The careless attitude of the Metro authorities has frightened us as to whether we will ever be rehabilitated safely in our rebuilt old homes,” said Sanjoy Sen, secretary of Metro-hit Residents’ Association, Bowbazar.
The residents of the area today organised a candle light march and an 8-am to 5 pm fast to mark the third anniversary of the disaster at Bowbazar.
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