The building department of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is keeping a tab on old dilapidated buildings in view of the heavy rainfall and storm which may hit the city as fallout of cyclone Dana.
A senior official of the KMC building department said the assistant engineers of every borough have been instructed to keep a tab on the old buildings. There are around 2,000 such structures in the city. He said despite repeated requests the residents of these old structures have refused to vacate the premises. The civic authorities have put up notice boards and declared the buildings as dilapidated, but still they have refused to vacate them. Most of these houses are situated in north and parts of central Kolkata. There are a few old structures in south Kolkata and in the southern fringes.
The official said there are buildings whose owners could not be traced. The houses have not been repaired for decades. They have been occupied by people. Many of these houses are located along the river Hooghly in wards 1 and 2.
As the buildings have not been repaired for decades, the rainwater pipes are choked. Once it rains heavily, the rain water gets accumulated on the rooftops, adding weight to the house. The pillars have become weak and are unable to withstand the additional pressure resulting in collapse of the building. More than 75 people died in 2022-23 when portions of the old building fell on them.
The civic body had requested the owners of old buildings to pull down the old structure with a proper rehabilitation plan for the tenants. The KMC would clear the building plan fast and give additional FAR. Though initially many owners showed keen interest, the interest has died down.
The conservancy department of KMC has been kept on high alert as it will clear the debris as fast as possible.