KMC to declare disaster plot no-construction zone

KOLKATA: Ground Zero - J 509/1A Azhar Molla Bagan, the plot where the illegally constructed building collapsed on Monday, claiming 10 lives - will remain empty. KMC has decided to declare it a no-construction zone once sea-rch-and-rescue operations are called off and debris is removed.
At least two people are still suspected to be stuck under mounds of rubble.
KMC has not yet suspended or sacked anyone. But, a day after the tragedy, after conducting an internal inquiry, it has deemed four officials posted in Borough XV responsible for letting the construction happen, and has transferred them. The four - an assistant engineer and three sub-assistant engineers - have been shunted to the solid waste management department, the water supply department and town planning and development department. Three of these four persons had been show-caused on Monday and were asked to send their replies by Wednesday evening.
Civic officials said the no-construction restriction was necessary for the safety of residents in the congested locality, where at least two buildings have been built next to each other without keeping the mandatory space between them.
Borough-level civic buildings department officials on Tuesday carried out a survey of buildings that are under construction or have been recently completed in wards located in their respective boroughs to check if their plans have been sanctioned or they had sprung up illegally.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) buildings department director-general had on Monday evening issued a notice to departmental assistant and sub-assistant engineers, asking them to report to office by 10.30 am and then immediately leave for a round of wards in their jurisdiction to assess illegal constructions.
An official at the civic headquarters said it was common knowledge that building department officials in boroughs rarely ventured into the illegal construction zones in wards even if they learnt about them as the situation on the ground was often hostile.
Buildings department officials who are in charge of Topsia-Tiljala belt that extends to Chowbagha and other neighbourhoods off EM Bypass said access to these zones were extremely challenging.
"This particular zone is known as the 'red zone' among all illegal construction zones in the city. Last year, one of our colleagues tried to venture into an illegal construction site in Tiljala. My colleague was abused and threatened by a section of rowdies close to an influential developer of the area who is connected to a political leader. Since then, he could not muster the courage to visit the area again," said a KMC buildings department official.
On Tuesday, officials gingerly set foot on localities that pose a challenge with many skirting pockets where the situation can turn volatile.
A KMC buildings department official said senior civic officials wanted the borough-level staff to display courage as sparing an illegally constructed building from demolition could be far reaching.
"Due to a hurried construction process, most of these buildings carry the risk of getting tilted. We had spotted six unauthorized buildings at Shibtala in Tiljala area which tilted to a great extent endangering the lives of their residents and others in the neighbourhood. But we couldn't do anything as the demolition of these buildings will leave their residents homeless," said the civic official.
What prompts developers in these areas to construct illegal buildings is the demand for homes at a price point that would be impossible to offer in a legally constructed building. While promoters in these zones charge Rs 1,500-1,800 per sq ft, developers say it is impossible to offer flats at such rates unless construction on the plot is maximised and corners are cut all around.