E-Paper
‘Old buildings a threat, but owners unwilling to vacate’
Prayagraj Nagar Nigam has identified over 100 dilapidated buildings, but issue of tentants and sometimes legal disputes continue to cause hurdles in razing them
Around half a dozen people lost their lives last year in several incidents of building collapse in the district. Unfit to be used due to its dilapidated condition, these buildings become still more risky during the rainy season.
To avert any such mishap this year, the Prayagraj Nagar Nigam (PNN) has gone into alert mode with the arrival of monsoon.
PNN had earlier identified around 150 such buildings which are not fit for use. However, despite warnings, residents continue to live here.
There are large number of old and dilapidated buildings in old city areas especially in Chowk, Pathar Gali, Nakhas Kohna, Atarsuiya, Rani Mandi, Loknath, Bahadurganj, Hatia, Akbarpur, Noorullah Road, Daira Shah Ajmal, Himmatganj etc. Moreover, many old buildings are also in poor condition in Katra, Daraganj and some other localities.
While the number of dilapidated buildings may be more than the listed ones, in Nagar Nigam records they are much less in number.
Chief engineer at Nagar Nigam Satish Kumar said 150 buildings in dilapidated condition have been identified and notices have been issued to their owners. Most of them are in old city areas, he added.
Even as Nagar Nigam has issued notices to owners of such buildings, they are yet to vacate and demolish them. Many buildings are in use and have tenants in them which makes it difficult for their owners to demolish them. Moreover, disputes on many buildings pending at the court is another obstacle to taking further action.
PNN chief engineer Satish Kumar said that there is no response from owners of these buildings despite being issued notices. Many buildings have tenants residing in them for a long time despite the threat while disputes of others are pending at the court. Owners are not willing to demolish these buildings and in such a situation they themselves will be responsible if any untoward incident takes place, he added.
Last year, at least half a dozen people lost their lives in separate incidents where old buildings or dilapidated balconies collapsed.
Five persons died and some others were injured after a balcony of an old building in Hatia area collapsed during rains in September 2022.
In another incident in Shahganj, a labourer died after he was trapped under the debris of an old wall. A cow and its calf also lost their lives when a balcony caved in at Bahadurganj last year.
