Bengaluru’s illegal buildings make up 70%, says DK Shivakumar after fire kills 5 in Nagarathpete

DK Shivakumar has instructed BBMP to identify buildings constructed unscientifically or those that have grown structurally weak over time.

A day after five people lost their lives in a devastating fire in Nagarathpete, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar visited the site and directed officials from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to launch a city-wide audit of structurally unsafe and illegally built buildings.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was visibly shaken after inspecting the gutted building. (PTI)

Shivakumar, visibly shaken after inspecting the gutted building, said the incident highlighted the dangers of unregulated construction in densely populated areas.

According to a report by The Hindu, the Deputy CM has instructed BBMP to identify buildings constructed unscientifically or those that have grown structurally weak over time. Notices will be served to such property owners, and a detailed survey will follow. While ruling out immediate demolitions, he emphasized that action was inevitable.

Shivakumar expressed concern over builders who have flouted zoning laws. “Structures meant for two or three floors now have eight or ten. Many of them are unfit for human habitation,” he noted according to the publication.

Highlighting the scale of the problem, Shivakumar said nearly 70% of buildings in Bengaluru are technically illegal, the report further added. In newly developed BDA layouts, he added, many constructions have exceeded the permitted limits.

While dismissing any immediate plans for large-scale demolitions, Shivakumar said that property owners would be asked to carry out structural repairs without delay. “If they fail, the government will step in. In the future, permissions for such reckless construction will not be granted,” he warned.

The state government has approved ₹5 lakh compensation for the families of each of the five people who died in the Nagarathpete fire.