In a first such exercise, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has taken up a survey of dilapidated buildings across the city.
The civic body had identified such 178 buildings, and has issued notices to owners of 77 buildings so far, BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar said here on Monday.
The survey was necessitated after the city witnessed building collapses, which claimed lives of citizens, he said.
As per the information provided, the maximum number of dilapidated buildings were found in Yelahanka zone (61), followed by East zone (49), and South and West zones (33). The survey team found two such buildings in Mahadevapura zone, while none were found in Dasarahalli, Bommanahalli, and Rajarajeshwarinagar zones.
Mr. Anil Kumar said depending on the condition of the building, owners could either repair and restore or demolish at their own cost. “The notices have already been issued and directions have been given to evacuate the residents, if any, for their own safety. Buildings that cannot be repaired, will have to be demolished,” he said.
Admitting that there was less focus on enforcement, he said the BBMP officials were more focussed on ensuring that building plans are as per ruled during plan sanctions. “The on-field compliance by citizens is low and this is due to a lack of enforcement,” he noted.
Stating that violations of building byelaws were not restricted to one particular area, he pointed out that many citizens do not obtain either commencement certificate or occupancy certificate from the BBMP.
“There is just one squad to check the violations in the entire city. There is a need to take penal action against the violators. Once the notices are issued, the building owners get a stay. By the time the BBMP gets the stay vacated, the construction of the building would have been completed and portions even rented out,” he said.
A senior BBMP official told The Hindu that the civic body will soon take up vulnerability mapping towards ensuring public safety.
The exercise, which is likely to commence soon, will help the civic body identify weak and vulnerable structures across the city, not just buildings that are in a dilapidated condition, he said.
