No action on unsafe buildings identified by Amritsar civic body last year
Charanjit Singh Teja
Amritsar, July 5
The Town Planning Wing of the Municipal Corporation (MC) had found 43 unsafe buildings in the city during a survey in July 2023 but didn’t take any action in this regard. After two deaths in a building collapse case in Verka, the MC had conducted the survey after five years.
Many demolished in past
The number of unsafe buildings has surprisingly reduced as in 2017, the MC had declared 125 buildings as unsafe. Most of the unsafe buildings in the walled city area were demolished in past years.
The number of unsafe buildings has surprisingly reduced as in 2017, the MC had declared 125 buildings as unsafe. Most of the unsafe buildings in the walled city area were demolished in past years.
With the start of monsoon session, there are risk of collapse of such old buildings. However, the MC officials claimed that most of the unsafe buildings have been demolished by the owners for reconstruction while some of the buildings were repaired. But still the MC not took any appropriate action against 43 unsafe buildings identified last year. Suresh Sharma, a local activist, claimed that the MC wakes up from deep slumber only after some accident. “They should keep check on the unsafe buildings and issue notices to evacuate the inhabitants in such buildings. The civil wing officials should ask to prepare structural reports of all unsafe buildings for further action”, said Sharma.
The MTP wing officials claimed that these unsafe buildings having some dispute, sub-judice ownership cases and legal issues are still there. All these buildings are located in the inner areas of the walled city and most lie uninhabited.
As a number of incidents of building collapse have occurred in the past, as per the rules, the MC needs to hold survey before monsoon and take the required steps.
Past incidents
June 26, 2023: A woman and her son were killed and four other members of the family injured after an a portion of the first floor of the building of the next-door neighbour collapsed over their house leading to collapse of the roof of a room of their house at Verka.
March 27, 2023: The roof of a two-storey house collapsed at Tilka Nagar near Bhiayan Da Shivala in Muslim Ganj area. No casualty was reported.
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
March 6, 2020: Four members of a family, including six-month-old twins, were killed when the roof of their house caved in due to rain at Babbu Singh Colony in Mule Chak locality.
