One house was razed on Durga Pituri lane of Bowbazar area of Kolkata on Wednesday morning. At least 18 houses were damaged due to Metro tunnelling in the area in the past few days, affecting 350 residents. (Express photo by Partha Paul)Directed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kolkata Police on Wednesday allowed Bowbazar residents to retrieve important documents, including identity cards, and valuables from their houses that had partially collapsed or had been damaged due to the tunneling work for the East-West Metro project, said a senior government official.
They were evacuated due to the safety concern arising out of the Metro work.
Before entering the state Assembly, Banerjee on Wednesday spoke with Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police (Central Division) Sudheer Kumar and was briefed about the situation.
Several buildings had partially collapsed or developed cracks in the congested Bowbazar area of Central Kolkata over the past few days after a tunnel-boring machine hit the water table. The residents evacuated their house in haste, leaving behind their belongings, identification documents, etc.
In the afternoon, the police allowed one resident per family to retrieve important documents and valuables within ten minutes, the official said.
“We have asked the police to help residents recover valuables and essential items from the evacuated buildings,” said the official.
Residents being evacuated at Bowbazar in Kolkata on Sunday. ExpressOn Tuesday, Banerjee had held a meeting with Metro Railway officials, Kolkata Police, state government officials and residents of affected houses at the state secretariat. She had urged Kolkata Metro to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to each of the families affected due to the tunnel boring work.
The government official also said that Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Limited (KMRCL) authorities will file a report on the nature of the soil on which these buildings rest before taking a decision on whether to raze the damaged houses. Kolkata Police also used drones to evaluate the condition of other houses in the area.
At least 18 houses in Bowbazar were damaged, affecting more than 350 affected residents who have shifted to hotels. According to the official, 20 more houses in the vicinity are at a risk.
One house at Durga Pituri lane was completely razed on Wednesday morning.
Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury visited the area in the afternoon. “There might have been some faults in the survey conducted before constructing the tunnel. This is unfortunate that residents are being evacuated because of an underground work for a Metro project,” he said.
