Kullu: No bylaws applicable in Anni where 8 buildings fell

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, August 25

Anni in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, where eight multi-storeyed buildings collapsed like a pack of cards on Thursday, is a panchayat area and, therefore, falls outside the purview of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act that bars the construction of buildings beyond four floors. As the building restrictions weren’t applicable, Anni—comprising of four panchayats of Anni, Kungash, Batala and Bakhnao—expanded haphazardly over the years. A few buildings, including those seen in yesterday’s viral videos, have been constructed as high as eight storeys. After the collapse of the buildings, the local administration has asked 23 occupants in adjacent buildings to vacate their house as these too have rendered unsafe. Anni was made a nagar panchayat in 2021 to bring it under the planning area, but the decision was revoked in 2022 following directions from the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The locals across Himachal are opposed to panchayats being brought under the planning area limits as this imposes restrictions on construction, which has to be done as per the TCP norms.

Anni SDM Naresh Verma said the area was unstable and heavy rain for the past several months had caused subsidence. “The buildings that collapsed had been vacated after these developed cracks. An inquiry will be conducted as to how buildings exceeding four storeys were allowed,” he said. Experts maintain that due to incessant rain since March, the strata had loosened in the region, resulting in the collapse of buildings. They said haphazard construction too was to be blamed as it put excessive pressure on the land, leading to subsidence.

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