Is the One Town area a danger zone? Records point out that apart from Thursday’s building collapse that left three dead and one injured, there were at least two other cases in the last four months, wherein a boy and a woman had died.
And in the last five years, there were at least 10 cases, both major and minor, said a Fire Officer.
The One Town is the oldest part of the city, and this where the city germinated centuries ago. And there are a few buildings as old as 100 to 150 years, said YSR Congress leader and former MLA Jaleel Khan.
He alleged that municipal authorities were only busy enhancing and collecting taxes. “There is hardly any inspection done and structural stability certificates issued.”
Ahmed Khan, a resident of the area for last 60 years, said corporation personnel rarely come to inspect the area, be it buildings or sanitation.
“This area is the most neglected area in the city. Most of the residents are poor people and they either live in dilapidated buildings or buildings that are made up of bad quality due to paucity of funds,” he said.
Most of the buildings in the by-lanes have come in the last two decades even without proper sanction of plans in a haphazard manner, and the officials have turned a blind eye to it.
“They only know how to cover up things when an incident occurs by blaming the poor building owners,” said Mr. Jaleel Khan.
