A month after surveying dilapidated structures, BBMP clueless on what to do

Officials in the South Zone confessed to DH that they have been under intense political pressure to spare the structures

A month since a series of building collapses in the city, the BBMP is yet to act on the structures surveyed in the immediate aftermath.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) quickly surveyed the dilapidated buildings days after a multi-storey structure in Lakkasandra collapsed in September and authorities subsequently asserted that they would take immediate action on the buildings.

Indeed, the Palike identified about 570 buildings in various areas a week into the incident. Though zonal officials slapped demolition notices on property owners, they are yet to raze a single structure.

“Many in our zone didn’t respond to the notices,” said a BBMP official from the Yelahanka Zone.

Also Read | BBMP to act against 5,000 illegal buildings in Bengaluru

The BBMP had given them seven days to respond to the notice. Though the notice period has expired, officials have no clarity on the future course of action. “If there is no response, we should ideally evacuate and demolish (the structures),” said a West Zone official, adding, “It is a difficult task and we are now contemplating serving a second notice.”

Officials in the South Zone, where the BBMP survey discovered maximum number of dilapidated buildings, confessed to DH that they have been under intense political pressure to spare the structures.

“Pressure from influential people not to take any action on (the buildings) came soon after we served the notices,” said a South Zone official on condition of anonymity, adding that officials can act only if they receive strict orders from the higher authorities to raze the
structures and are given police protection. Officials are also in a fix over unstable government structures.

“Out of the 11 dilapidated structures in RR Nagar, nine are police quarters,” said a zonal official. “We have served a notice and have informed them about the state of the building. The departments concerned have assured they will take required action. We are not sure if we should intervene and remind them.”

In East Zone, by contrast, officials found during the re-evaluation that 14 properties marked as unstable in 2019 have been razed by the owners themselves.

But, out of the 185 buildings identified as unstable in 2019, only 10 have been razed and others continue to be occupied.

Not all need to be razed: Palike chief

BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said not all weak buildings identified in the survey should be razed. “Our engineers will identify structures in a dangerous condition and ensure families are evacuated,” he said.

“Those that do not pose immediate danger can remain. The BBMP will monitor these structures and take action if their condition deteriorates.”

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