Kolkata: Metro zone turns into crash course

KOLKATA: At least two more buildings on Durga Pithuri Lane and Shyankra Para Lane collapsed and cracks surfaced on several other structures on these two lanes as well as the adjacent Gour Dey Lane and Hidaram Banerjee Lane on Tuesday. A Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) official said Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) has already identified 55 buildings in this zone as highly vulnerable, including the 13 which the government agency wants to raze immediately. The civic body fears that the number of damaged structures may cross 100.
Around 11am, a century-old and recently renovated three-storey building belonging to Jayanta Seal collapsed around 10.30am. Such was the impact that the entire area remained under dust for about five minutes.

“I was on the terrace of another building checking the condition of my house when the one at 13A Durga Pithuri Lane collapsed. It felt like an earthquake and the entire area was covered in dust as we all ran out for safety. Even cops guarding the area ran for cover,” said Sandip Shaw, who owns the house right opposite the one that collapsed.
Later in the evening, the interiors of another house on Shyankra Para Lane came crashing down sending KMRC workers near the alley run for safety.
Cracks were spotted on several other buildings in the area on Tuesday after which residents started leaving them. Realising the expanse of the cracks, KMRC and KMC engineers, along with cops, started making rounds of the area to check cracks on houses and find out if residents are needed to be relocated.
“Till Monday, our house was safe and it had no cracks. But from today morning, a number of cracks started appearing at different floors. I have a 14-year-old son whose exams are due in few days and I can’t take a chance living in this building. We ourselves asked the engineers to visit our house and on their advice we left it with all our essential belongings to an accommodation selected by them,” said Sumana Laha, a resident of Durga Pithuri Lane, whose house was declared safe even till a day before.
With more buildings facing the danger of getting collapsed in and around Durga Pithuri Lane and Shyankra Para Lane, the civic body has decided to keep a close watch on all dilapidated buildings. However, a section of KMC buildings department officials was taken aback when they visited the affected area and found major cracks appearing on several other buildings there.
A KMC official on Tuesday told TOI that the number of buildings that could be heavily damaged after Saturday’s incident may cross 100. Till Monday evening, the KMRC and KMC joint inspection highlighted the sorry state of 20 buildings, 11 of which needed demolition. “But the number of buildings belonging to high risk category is rising every day due to subsidence. The KMRC has alerted us about 55 buildings where we may start an evacuation process. But the actual number of affected buildings could go beyond 100 as major cracks are being seen on the outer walls of many other buildings making them structurally unsafe,” said a KMC official.
KMC has roped in structural engineers to conduct a structural stability test on the buildings which have developed cracks. They will also engage experts for soil tests sin the area.