Weak buildings, strong nexus

Builder-official collusion endangering residents' lives

A three-storeyed residential building constructed in violation of the sanctioned plan in Bengaluru’s Kasturinagar collapsed on October 7 becoming the third such incident in the city in the past few days. Fortunately, there were no casualties as the residents were evacuated in time. Earlier, nearly 50 people had escaped unhurt when a 70-year-old building crumbled in Lakkasandra, while a few days later, a portion of staff quarters of Bangalore Milk Union Limited (BAMUL) collapsed. The problem is two pronged. One, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has failed to demolish buildings that are unfit for habitation. Two, builders violate the sanctioned plan with impunity and often construct additional floors illegally, with the connivance of BBMP officers. So, both the builders and the BBMP need to share the blame and get punished for their actions. In 2019, the civic body had conducted a survey and identified nearly 200 dilapidated buildings, with the then commissioner B H Anil Kumar announcing that the owners would be directed to either demolish the structures or repair and restore them, but nothing came of it. In fact, Revenue Minister R Ashoka recently admitted that only 10 of the identified buildings were demolished so far. Instead of acting on the 2019 report, BBMP has now announced a fresh survey which gives rise to suspicion that it could be acting under pressure, thus endangering the lives of people residing in such unsafe buildings.

Similarly, following a High Court order, the BBMP had conducted another survey to identify buildings that were constructed without any approval or in violation of the sanctioned plan and bylaws. Had timely action been initiated, incidents like the one in Kasturinagar could have been avoided. The building had an additional third floor which was constructed in violation of the plan and the owner was in the process of constructing a penthouse illegally. People have been living in this building for seven years now though it has not received the occupancy certificate (OC) from the BBMP. What is strange is that local officials were oblivious to what was happening right under their nose. This only points to the collusion between the builder lobby and corporation engineers.

If BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta is really serious about clearing the mess, he should send across a strong message by ordering the demolition of unauthorised structures and at the same initiate criminal proceedings against guilty officers, both past and present. Besides, given climate change and heavy rains that Bengaluru has been receiving, it might also be wise to have a relook at the bylaws to ensure that new constructions withstand the vagaries of nature. But unless the government has the political will to break the builder-officer-corporator nexus, nothing is going to change.

Check out DH's latest videos: