Death toll from illegal building collapse in Kolkata’s Garden Reach rises to 12
The Garden Reach area comes under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, and has a large number of illegal constructions.
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NDRF personnel rescue operation at Garden Reach area in Kolkata (PTI Photo)The death toll from the collapse of an illegal building in Garden Reach of Kolkata last week has risen to 12, after a woman succumbed to her injuries at a city hospital on Saturday, as local authorities said they were taking steps to address illegal constructions in the area.
The under-construction building in Azhar Mullah Bagan in Garden Reach collapsed late on March 17, killing 12 people, including three women.
Mariyam Bibi, 85, died at SSKM Hospital where three other people injured in the building collapse are still under treatment. Initially, Bibi was admitted to a private hospital at Paharpur Road and later shifted to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata on March 20.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Saturday formed a seven-member committee to investigate the building collapse in Garden Reach and also issued show-cause notices to some engineers and building owners. These notices require them to explain why action shouldn’t be taken against them for their involvement in illegal construction.
On Saturday, an expert team from Jadavpur University also visited the spot and collected samples used in the construction of the building. The team also examined other under-construction buildings in the area. As per the police, a report from the expert team will help them find out the cause of the collapse and the kind of materials being used in the construction of the building that collapsed on March 17.
KMC has also issued a list of SOPs for the detection and demolition of unauthorised constructions at the initial stage. “The sub-assistant engineers are supposed to go out in the field to detect the unauthorised constructions every day. After detection of unauthorised construction, a ‘stop work’ notice under Section 40I of the KMC Act, 1980, is to be served with a copy to the OC of the concerned police station to take necessary action to stop the authorised construction,” said an official.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government may provide an alternative house under the “Bangla Bari” scheme to those whose houses have been damaged in the collapse, said sources. Under this scheme, people who have at least 500 square feet (sq ft) of land get Rs 3.48 lakh for constructing a house.
The area that comes under Ward 134 of KMC has a large number of illegal constructions amid small lanes and bylanes. The collapse of the building has highlighted the growing menace of illegal construction in Kolkata.
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