Repairs pending, but Mantri mall set to reopen

However, the BBMP has laid down four conditions

The civic body on Saturday restored the building’s Occupancy Certificate, which was temporarily withdrawn after a portion of the roof of a service corridor collapsed in January injuring two persons.

Mantri mall in Malleswaram is all set to partially reopen even though repairs on the collapsed portion are yet to be completed. However, the BBMP has laid down four conditions for reopening the mall, apart from carrying out all repairs as per the expert committee recommendations.

The civic body on Saturday restored the building’s Occupancy Certificate, which was temporarily withdrawn after a portion of the roof of a service corridor collapsed in January injuring two persons. The order restoring the OC, a copy of which is available with The Hindu , clearly indicates that all repairs recommended by the expert committee are yet to be completed. Of the 12 conditions imposed on Mantri mall, the last three clearly indicate this.

“Third floor door to be closed until the repair works are carried out for the collapsed portion in double lock system, as advised by BBMP, and the same to be guarded by a security personnel round-the-clock. The ‘scary house’ on third floor shall be opened only after completion of all repair works on the third floor,” the order from the BBMP commissioner states.

Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said that the OC was restored based on the final report submitted by the expert committee on February 23, following a meeting with structural consultants of the developers who have given an affidavit for the structural safety of the building.

M.S. Sudarshan, member of the expert committee formed to review the structural safety of the building, said that the service corridor will be externally supported by beams to nullify the cantilever portion and the repairs have to be carried out from outside, having no effect on the main building. “Since the repair works on this portion has no effect on the stability of the mall building, except in Scary House where the wall has developed some cracks, we have allowed the mall to be reopened,” he said.

The Conditions:

Annual maintenance reports of the building and utilities, like AC ducts and water supply lines, to be submitted to BBMP

Use of appropriate leak proof technology on terrace

Submit reports of expert inspection of the structural stability of the building to BBMP annually

Set up fire safety devices in the mall and submit NOC from Fire and Emergency Services to BBMP every two years