Indore: Chaos prevailed in Bada Sarafa when a portion of a three-storeyed building collapsed on Thursday morning. The 100-year old three-storeyed building belonged to Marwadi Vidya Trust, sources said. The incident, which occurred in city’s famed jewellery market, has raised questions on Indore Municipal Corporation’s ability to trace and demolish dilapidated buildings before monsoon.
The back portion of the three-storey building in Nagar ki Bakhal of Bada Sarafa collapsed at 10.30 am when the traders were preparing to open their shops. “Luckily, the building collapsed before the market opened. Large number of people would have injured had the incident taken place an hour or two late,” Sarafa trader Shiv Bajpai said.
Those living on ground floor of the house had vacated the building few days ago. But many people lived there. Moreover, local traders also alerted people living in the building as one of the walls had bent. Though local residents had lodged complaint with IMC officials, the latter did not act.
Deputy municipal commissioner Mahendra Singh Chouhan said the building was in the list of dilapidated buildings, which IMC had planned to pull down. “But a case between the tenants and owners is pending with the court. So we couldn’t act,” he said.
Chouhan said IMC squad reached the spot after learning about the building collapse. “Rubble has been removed and we will razed down the remaining part of the building in a day or two,” he said. Indore Municipal Corporation had declared to demolish dilapidated buildings in the city after Hotel MS collapsed near Sarvate bus stand in which 10 people died. However, areas like Sarafa, Marothiya Bazaar, Juna Risala have many old, dilapidated buildings.