A month ago, a portion of a dilapidated house in Ganjipeth collapsed, causing significant alarm. A family was residing in the house at the time of the incident, bringing attention to the issue of unsafe buildings in the city. Approximately 199 such structures remain in Nagpur, with some still inhabited, posing a constant risk of accidents. As part of pre-monsoon measures, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) conducts surveys of dilapidated buildings and issues notices to vacate them. The fire department had requested information on these buildings from various zones. By July, 240 dilapidated buildings were identified across nine of the ten zones.
The NMC issued notices to all identified buildings and demolished 41 of them. However, nearly 199 buildings have yet to see any action. Team TOI visited areas like Itwari, Mahal, Gandhibagh, and Kamal Chowk, finding many people still residing in such unsafe structures. Despite being declared dilapidated, residents continue to live in these buildings, and some even operate shops, making them prone to accidents.
In some cases, building owners have taken legal action after their properties were declared unsafe, causing delays in the demolition process. For instance, a two-storey building near Kamal Chowk has been declared unsafe, yet shopkeepers on rent have not vacated the premises.
The fire department's survey revealed that the Gandhibagh zone had the highest number of dilapidated buildings, with 97 identified. Notices were issued to all, resulting in the demolition of six buildings. Two owners repaired their buildings, while two cases are under appeal, and three owners have requested structural audits. Gandhibagh, known for its old residential areas, has many such buildings. Recently, a part of an old house in this zone collapsed early in the morning while a family was present, but fortunately, no one was injured.
Following Gandhibagh, the Dharampeth zone has 38 dilapidated buildings, with action taken against just one. Nine cases are pending in court, and four building owners have filed appeals after their structures were declared unsafe. The Mangalwari zone has 29 dilapidated buildings, with action taken against 13. Other zones include 16 buildings in Sataranjipura, 23 in Dhantoli, 15 in Lakadganj, 14 in Ashi Nagar, and 5 in Hanuman Nagar. The Nehru Nagar zone has the fewest with three dilapidated buildings, while the Laxmi Nagar zone has not submitted details of unsafe structures.
In 2020, a dilapidated house in Sadar collapsed, claiming two lives. Similarly, other such structures in use pose on-going threats to their inhabitants. (Source: ET)
