An over-a-century-old house in Kolkata’s Bowbazar collapsed during renovation on Sunday, causing death of one resident and injuries to four others. The reason behind the mishap, according to a senior KMC official, was “bad workmanship”.
The Bowbazar building collapse, however, wasn’t the first incident of an old Kolkata house crumbling to the ground. The city — with over 2,500 buildings marked bipodjonok (dangerous) by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) — stares at more such mishaps in the absence of prompt measures and a simmering fear of displacement among tenants.
The repair work on the aforementioned Bowbazar building was being carried out by labourers without the supervision of a civil engineer, KMC found in its probe.
“These days labourers know exactly what they are doing based on pure experience but when you are working on a house as old as the one that fell, you need to have studied old buildings and know the science behind the work you are doing,” said a senior KMC official requesting anonymity.
Three boroughs — IV, V, VI — in Kolkata currently house 70 per cent of the dangerous houses. These buildings may collapse any time, but the tenants refuse to evacuate, said the KMC official.
“Mayor Firhad Hakim announced that tenants need not fear losing their residence. Their names will be registered under the KMC and once new buildings are developed, they will each be provided a place to stay there,” said the official.
A lack of awareness among the tenants about provisions of rehabilitation is also posing a challenge for the administration, said the KMC official.
“Despite eviction notices and safety notices being issued, residents refuse to move. They want KMC to give them temporary housing while the land is redeveloped.”
Raja Subhod Mallik’s house on the road named after him is in tatters.
Another house in north Kolkata’s Sovabazar and central avenue crossing is in shambles.