Residents live in open after building develops cracks, road caves in

Ranchi: More than 30 families living in a posh 12-storey apartment complex in Ranchi’s Morhabadi locality are spending their nights in the open after a portion of the approach road to the building caved in on Monday evening.
Residents of Ratan Heights, an eight-year-old residential complex, blamed the land subsidence on a private construction company which has been digging a 35-feet-deep pit on an adjoining plot of land for the past four months for building a commercial building. “Around 5 pm on Monday, a portion of the approach road to our complex caved in. A car, which was parked on the side of the road, fell into the pit. Several portion of the boundary walls of our complex developed cracks,” Jaishankar Jaipuriar, a resident of the apartment complex, said.
Alarmed, several residents from the building moved out for the time being. “Those who did not move out spent the night in the lawn,” Jaipuriar added. Residents alleged that the ongoing construction at the adjoining plot was done in brazen violation of the land’s original nature. “The private firm, named VKS Realty, has dug ominously close to the foundation of our complex. We had reported the matter on multiple occasions to the Ranchi Municipal Corporation but they did not pay heed,” A K Sarkar, a resident, said.
Ashok Kumar, another resident of the complex, said the plot on which construction was underway had been originally submitted to the RMC as part of the 86 kottah plot on which the residential plot stands. “That particular plot was earmarked in the map for holding amenities, children’s park and other features. However, with the connivance of RMC officials that plot was sold to another builder,” Kumar claimed.
Shashi Ranjan, the municipal commissioner of the RMC, did not respond to TOI’s calls when contacted.
Kunwar Singh Pahan, the additional municipal commissioner of RMC, said: “Upon receiving the complaint, I visited the apartment this morning and spoke to the residents. The construction company has been asked to stop work immediately and ensure the commissioning of safety measures for the apartment. A committee will also be constituted to inspect the alleged violations in the map. We have also asked the building construction department to evaluate if the apartment is safe to live in.”