Amritsar MC again fails to conduct survey of unsafe buildings
Charanjit Singh Teja
Amritsar, July 15
The Municipal Corporation Amritsar (MCA) has again failed to conduct survey of unsafe buildings this year. Officials of the Municipal Town Planning (MTP) wing claim that they don’t have sufficient staff to conduct the survey. Moreover, the existing staff has been deployed to conduct the ongoing survey for delimitation of wards.
Old and unsafe buildings in the city are posing a threat to the lives of residents as these may collapse anytime due to heavy rain during the monsoon. A number of such buildings have collapsed due to rain and claimed several lives in the past.
According to the data of the last survey conducted by the MC in 2017, there were around 125 unsafe buildings in the city. The MC had reportedly issued notices to the owners of these buildings. No survey has been conducted after that.
Despite this, the MC did not take any preventive measure prior to the onset of the monsoon this year. The MC had served notices in 2020 to the owners of some old buildings, asking them to either get these repaired or vacate these and move to a safer place. The MC officials claimed they were unable to take any action in the matter as several cases were sub judice.
Officialspeak
The issue of old and unsafe buildings in the city is now under my consideration. I will ask the employees to take care of it. If any building requires preservation, I will write to the department concerned. — Kumar Saurabh, MC commissioner
Past incidents
Jan 9, 2022: A 17-year-old youth died after the roof of his house collapsed at New Jawahar Nagar in Maqboolpura area
July 21, 2021: The roof of a house collapsed in the Shakti Nagar Chowk area after heavy rain. Four family members, including owner Monu Kumar, got trapped inside the room
Aug 28, 2020: Three persons, including an eight-year-old girl, were killed and three others were injured after a three-storey building collapsed in the Guru Nanakpura area on the Sultanwind road after heavy rain
Aug 11, 2020: A 50-year-old four-storey building collapsed in the Cheel Mandi area in Amritsar. No casualty was reported.
Meanwhile, social activistshave been demanding a special survey to identify heritage buildings in the city. A large number of buildings in the city are centuries old. Sikh shrines, akharas (sects), bhungas and seminaries are in a good condition as these have been renovated a number of times. A number of buildings of the British-era are still in a good shape.
“Most of the old buildings which are being called unsafe are residential, where owners are not keen to demolish or renovate. The government should take an initiative to preserve these buildings as it has been done in Lahore. We need separate authority for the walled city, which identifies such buildings and preserve them. These buildings can be a good attraction for tourists and it will help flourish the hospitality sector in the city,” said Michael Rahul, an activist.
