Are these buildings standing stall in the commercial capital safe?
MARGAO
Are the host of old and dilapidated buildings dotting across the commercial capital safe and pose no danger to the life and property of citizens?
This question assumes significance and comes against against the backdrop of last week’s incident wherein concrete slabs of two buildings came crashing down in less than 24 hours, triggering panic and insecurity amongst citizens.
Indeed, one could come across a number of old and dilapidated buildings, many of which are unoccupied and abandoned, but a question or two has come to the fore in the wake of last week’s incident – whether there is any law in force to deal with old and dilapidated buildings; if yes, which are the authorities mandated under the relevant provision in force to identify the dangerous buildings and whether these authorities have played their role in updating the list of such dangerous buildings posing grave risk to public life and property?
When this question was posed to an official, attached to the South district Collectorate, he was quick to reply that a joint survey is in the offing to identify the old buildings and update the list of dangerous buildings in the commercial capital.
“The exercise will be taken up jointly in coordination with other departments in the coming days”, informed an official.
Margao Municipal Chief Officer Melvyn Vaz said that identifying old and dangerous buildings by the authorities in an ongoing process. He said he had recently signed an order containing the list of old and dilapidated buildings in the commercial capital.
What’s next, is a question that may stare at the Margao Municipal Council or the district authorities how to go about the dealing with the dangerous buildings. When the slab of the second building collapsed near Cine Lata on Saturday, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat has mulled a state level policy on how to deal with old buildings.
Officials in the know, however, pointed out that unsafe buildings should be either rehabilitated by the owners or the authorities should move in to pull down the structures.
The official added: “The Margao MLA is right in saying that right to possess private property is a fundamental right. What if an unsafe building poses danger to the lives and property of citizens”.
