Following the spate of collapses and a rise in the number of unauthorised constructions, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to conduct a survey and identify buildings that are dilapidated, and not stable or strong enough to sustain for long.
BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar told The Hindu that joint commissioners of all the eight zones have been directed to conduct a survey and identify such buildings within a month.
“Officials of the Town Planning and Engineering departments will conduct the survey. After the survey, owners will be given notices to demolish, repair or restore the buildings at their own cost,” Mr. Anil Kumar said.
The civic body will also identify buildings that are stable, but need immediate repair or restoration. The BBMP is mulling over notifying the owners of such buildings and direct them to repair such buildings as soon as possible to prevent loss of life and property.
The collapse of a 30-year-old, three-storey building in Vivekananda Colony at J.P. Nagar 7th Phase highlights the problem of buildings that are either old and unstable or are not stable enough to sustain in the foreseeable future, officials said.
“Apart from the old and unstable ones, there are many buildings with faulty design, poor quality of work, or lack of proper foundation,” civic officials said.
D.S. Rajashekar, former president of Citizens’ Action Forum, said that apart from old buildings that are not strong, there are many examples of the collapse of buildings that were not old or dilapidated. “The civic body should also focus on such buildings wherein there are violations or are of poor construction, and prevent future accidents,” he said.
He also said that the BBMP should not think on the lines of getting more revenue through betterment fees. “Why were the violations allowed? It is the duty and responsibility of the BBMP to make people adhere to laws. The same goes with Akrama Sakrama, which is in the Supreme Court,” he said.
Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said that the survey could be useful in identifying properties for converting from B khata to A khata by paying a betterment charge. “This might bring in more than ₹2,000 crore in revenue to the civic body,” she said.
