Only 10 of 189 dilapidated buildings listed in 2019 survey demolished

A survey was carried out following the collapse of a dilapidated building in JP Nagar, South Bengaluru, in 2019

Policemen walk past the Bamul staff quarters inside the KMF campus near Dairy Circle, Bengaluru, on Tuesday. A portion of the building caved in due to the "loosening of the soil". Credit: DH Photo/Pushkar V

Only 10 of the 185 dilapidated buildings identified in a citywide survey two years ago have been demolished so far, according to the BBMP.

The survey was carried out following the collapse of a dilapidated building in JP Nagar, South Bengaluru, in 2019. But not only was it sketchy, it also resulted in little action. Here’s why:

Two of the buildings that collapsed this week were not identified during the survey. The three-storeyed building that crashed down in Lakkasandra on September 27 escaped the survey radar despite blatant and glaring violations. The Bamul staff quarters near Dairy Circle, a portion of which crumbled on September 28, was not covered in the survey because it’s a government building. The survey covered only private structures.

The survey resulted in little further action by municipal authorities beyond the usual issuance of notices to the owners of dangerous buildings. BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta admitted as much on Wednesday following a DH report. He said no further action was taken owing to various reasons.

Authorities have promised to fix all these three loopholes.

Gupta announced a fresh survey of dilapidated buildings across Bengaluru in the next 15 days.

And the fresh survey would cover government buildings, too, said a BBMP engineer. “This time, we will be including government-owned buildings, too, and examining their structural strength,” the engineer said. The BBMP is looking at collaborating with organisations having expertise in the domain to assist its engineers in the survey.

Demolition squad

Gupta also promised to follow up the survey with necessary action on the ground. To this end, the BBMP is likely to have a dedicated demolition squad in every zone. “We will have to demolish not just the dilapidated buildings but also other illegal structures and those encroaching upon public space,” he said.

Contractors will be part of the demolition squads. The tenders will be finalised soon, and the demolition squads will be up and running in the next 15 days, he promised.

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