BHOPAL: The state capital, which is on the path of getting the smart city tag, still finds its challenging to make sure that the listed dangerous and dilapidated buildings are vacated much before the onset of monsoon. The occupants and the owners of the rickety buildings will soon be served notices to vacate unsafe structures. As per the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) records, as many as 450 structures in city, most of them in Old City, are in dilapidated state posing immediate risk of loss of human lives in case of collapse. Onus to pull down these shaky buildings, unsuitable for habitation, lies with BMC. The civic body would soon issue notices to the occupants asking them to vacate the buildings. However, many a times the notices go unnoticed and the people continue to live in the dilapidated and rickety structures risking their lives.
It is the responsibility of the civic authority to ensure that people vacate their decaying buildings before the monsoon. BMC administration said that issuing notices to land lords and occupants to vacate the dilapidated buildings was a normal and routine exercise. Besides, the authorities claimed they regularly monitor the state and the occupancy in the wobbly structures. In June 2018, a two-storey building had collapsed in Lakherapura like pack of cards. Nearly 12 people residing in the structure had a close shave when a portion of nearly 100 years old dilapidated house located in Lakherapura came down. The year also saw a building collapse in Marwari Road. In August 2015, an elderly woman was killed after her house collapsed in Shahjahanabad area.
Following Lakherapura collapse, the civic authorities then had directed owners of nearly 150 buildings and structures to carry out repair work at the earliest. Despite notices in past, shaky undafe building continue to ‘stand still tall’ in city. Some of the buildings are decades old and in shambles. Market value of these buildings and houses has escalated and the claims over their ownership to have multiplied. Many of these buildings are being rented. BMC cannot act against many properties as they are locked in litigation. Every year, notices to occupants are sent under two sections of the Nagar Nigam Act – 309 (need of urgent repair) and 310 (non-repairable, need immediate evacuation). Before onset of monsoon, BMC administration is all set to start sending notices again.