Bengaluru: Even as the Bengaluru city administration has identified 185 old buildings that are at the risk of collapse, only 10 have been demolished so far, said Karnataka revenue minister R Ashok on Friday.
He said that instructions to demolish these buildings were given in 2019 itself, but no action was taken. Fresh instructions have been issued to demolish these buildings within seven days and to conduct a fresh survey to identify more old buildings which are at the risk of collapse, he added.
“Even though there are 185 such old buildings, only 10 of them have been demolished so far,” said the minister.
He said that instructions and a deadline have been given to authorities regarding these instances. “We have given them seven days to time to issue notices to these buildings. The deadline is just for one week,” said Ashok.
The minister added if these buildings are not demolished within the seven days, respective departments have been asked to demolish the buildings with the help of the police. He also added that the cost of demolition will be added to the existing property tax dues of the owners.
The revenue minister further added that while the seven-day notice was issued to the building identified in the survey conducted in 2019, a fresh survey will be conducted to find buildings that are in a dangerous condition that didn’t come under the 2019 survey. “We have given 15 days to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to identify any building that is in a damaged state and could collapse. A deadline has been given to concerned departments to provide this report within 15 days and notices should be issued at the earliest,” the minister added.
{{/usCountry}}The revenue minister further added that while the seven-day notice was issued to the building identified in the survey conducted in 2019, a fresh survey will be conducted to find buildings that are in a dangerous condition that didn’t come under the 2019 survey. “We have given 15 days to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to identify any building that is in a damaged state and could collapse. A deadline has been given to concerned departments to provide this report within 15 days and notices should be issued at the earliest,” the minister added.
{{/usCountry}}According to Ashok, action will be taken against BBMP officials, who have allowed construction near old buildings. “It has come to our notice that construction has been allowed near buildings that are old. Several buildings have collapsed in the past after the builders undertook digging work to construct new buildings. We will identify officials who have given permission for such construction without adequate protection,” added Ashok.
BBMP commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that orders have been issued to conduct a fresh survey in the city to identify buildings at the danger of collapse.
The statement comes two days after two old buildings in the city collapsed. A day after a building collapsed in south Bengaluru’s Lakkasandra, another three-storied building collapsed in the same locality on Tuesday. Though suffered major injuries, however, according to eyewitness accounts some occupants of the building escaped in the nick of time. Three people sustained minor injuries in the incident.
According to the department of fire and emergency services, the building was located on the premises of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) at the dairy circle and it was occupied by the staffers of Bangalore Milk Union Limited (Bamul). Residents noticed cracks in the building on Tuesday morning and the department was alerted.