MARGAO
Does the Casa Menezes building that partly collapsed on Saturday morning figure in the list of old and dilapidated buildings compiled by the Margao Municipal Council a decade ago? How many such old buildings are still left out from the list of the dilapidated buildings and whether the Margao Municipal Council will ever act against the very buildings which were declared as dilapidated by the civic body close to a decade ago?
These and other questions have come to the fore on Saturday in the wake of the collapse of the portion of the Casa Menezes Building in the wee hours of Saturday. Even as MMC officials confirmed that the Casa Menezes building does not figure in the list of the dilapidated buildings, questions are being asked whether the civic body has managed to take the process against the dilapidated buildings to the logical conclusion or has it abandoned the exercise midway since it was started a decade ago.
While the civic body had initially compiled a list of 22 dilapidated building, the number of such buildings is believed to have come down to 13-14 after some of the building owners got the structural stability reports from concerned agencies.
MMC officials, however, has no satisfactory explanation why action against the remaining 13-14 building was not taken to its logical conclusion. An official said the civic body had forwarded the list of these buildings to the district authorities for initiation of action under disaster management, but questions are asked if the civic body had powers to initiate action against the old buildings posing risk to the public at large.
In fact, there are a couple of buildings in the city which pose danger to the public as the unoccupied structures have not undergone repairs till date. Questions are being raised why these structures have not been razed down when they pose danger to the public at large.
Former MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho has said the collapse of an old building structure near Gandhi Market Margao confirms that the list of dilapidated buildings prepared in 2012-13 ironically doesn't contain the structures that are in a much worse conditions.
He said a list of around 22 structures was prepared by the Margao Municipal Council around nine years ago. “When we got access to the list in 2014, we had charged that selected buildings of Real Estate Developers’ interests were conveniently figuring in that list, while several other structures in much worse conditions are not part of the same. The building structure that collapsed in the wee hours of the morning ironically did not figure in MMC's list”, he said.
Coutinho has called for the review and reassessment of the dilapidated and dangerous structures/buildings in the city followed by an appropriate action.
He reminded the MMC and Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardessai about the total neglect of the structure of historical significance ie the Old Municipal building at old market.
Move out, repair and secure unit
within 30 days, MMC tells owner
MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council on Saturday issued notice to the owner of Casa Menezes Building to vacate the building with immediate effect and to submit the structural stability of the building and carry out the repairs and secure the unit within 30 days.
The MMC also issued a notice to the occupants, directing them to vacate the shops and flats with immediate effect and to submit the structural stability certificate of the building within seven days, failing which further action as per Section 190 of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968 shall be initiated against them.
Acting on the directions of the South Goa district Collector, Ruchika Katyal, MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernades told the owner that the building is very old and in dangerous condition, adding there is every possibility of the remaining part collapsing, causing loss to human life and property.
The occupants have been told to set up a proper and sufficient board for the protection of the passersby and other persons.
The notice stated there is every possibility of collapsing the remaining part of the building which may cause further danger to the building and also make it unsafe for the occupiers who are using the part of the eastern side of the building causing loss of life of occupiers a well as the passersby.
