MARGAO
A fortnight after the Dawood building was engulfed by a major fire, the structural stability test of the decades old building is yet to take place till date.
In fact, a team of the Goa Engineering College, which has been requisitioned by the Margao Municipal Council upon directions by the Margao deputy Collector, has conducted inspection of the ill-fated building last week. However, the actual structural test to assess the stability of the building is yet to take place.
Sources in the Margao municipal Council informed that the GEC team have said they would get back to the Civic body once they place order for private equipment to conduct the test. A senior MMC official said the MMC has not yet received any proposal from the team in respect of the fees involved in conducting the test.
“The GEC team has inspected the Dawood building and taken photographs of the structure. The team has maintained that they will have to procure equipment from a private agency to conduct the stability test. We are waiting for the team to get back to the Civic body”, the official informed.
As far the fees to be paid to the GEC team, the MMC officials informed that the Civic bod would foot the bill involved in conducting the test, adding that the amount would be later recovered from the building owner.
Incidentally, the residents who have been staying on rent inside the Dawood building are not allowed entry into the building after the major fire incident that engulfed the building earlier this month. Sources said the residents, mostly tenants are taking shelter at the place of their residence hoping early return to the building after the structural stability test.
Meanwhile, mystery continues over the exact cause behind the fire that engulfed the top floor of the Dawood building when there is no power supply to the building top floor.
