Last surveyed in 2016 & no action forthcoming on maintenance, questions raised over dilapidated buildings posing risk to occupants, public
MARGAO
On July 31, 2021, Madgavkars had woken up to the shocking news of a portion of an old and dilapidated building Casa Menezes crumbling at the entrance to the Gandhi market.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the building collapse, but the incident had only brought to the fore the risks posed to the public by unsafe buildings dotting the commercial capital and Margao Municipal Council’s half-hearted attempts to rein in on the owners to either ensure upkeep and maintenance of the old buildings or raze down the structures, especially the unoccupied buildings.
The monsoon is fast approaching, and the same old question may come to haunt the Margao Municipal Council, the City Fathers, Municipal babus and the district disaster management officials – are the old and dilapidated buildings dotting the city safe or unsafe for the inhabitants in particular and public in general?
For an answer, consider this: The Casa Menezes building that came crashing down on July 31 last year at Gandhi market did not figure in the list of 16-18 “unsafe” buildings compiled by the Margao Municipal engineers. Take note, the list of unsafe buildings was compiled by the Margao civic body way back over half-a-decade ago, in 2016. And, if sources are to be believed, the MMC hasn’t yet updated the list of unsafe buildings till date, throwing up questions of safety and posing risk to the inhabitants and the public.
When The Goan inquired with the Margao Municipal engineers to shed light on the list of unsafe buildings in the city, an engineer pointed out that the civic body will add to the list of unsafe buildings the Casa Menezes building and another building on the Abade Faria road, which showed signs of crumbling last year.
Says a municipal engineer: “After the civic body compiled the list of unsafe buildings, the Municipality had issued notices to the owners to rehabilitate the buildings or initiate action. A couple of owners have replied back saying the buildings are safe with required structural stability. Others have simply preferred to ignore the notices.”
The engineer added: “The list of 16-18 unsafe buildings are spread across the city, including the Camara de Salcete building which lies in a state of ruins for want of upkeep and conservation by the government authorities.”
The Goan understands that the South Goa district Collectorate has directed all the Municipal bodies and local bodies to identify unsafe buildings as well as trees posing danger to traffic and human lives ahead of the ensuing monsoons. Sources in the civic body, however, pointed out that the MMC has not found any new unsafe buildings to add to the 2016 list, other than the Casa Menezes and the building on the Abade Faria road, throwing up the oft repeated question why the MMC did not conduct a fresh survey of unsafe buildings as per the District Magistrate’s fiat.
A number of multi-storey buildings are lying in a dilapidated state, some of them abandoned, while one finds business activities on the ground floor of many such buildings.
Says former Margao Municipal Chairperson, Savio Coutinho: “With the onset of monsoons, we have to hope and pray that all of the dilapidated buildings in the city stand strong, without collapsing and causing harm to life and property.”
He added: “The collapse of the building at Gandhi market last year, was indeed an eye opener, but the authorities are yet to take cue from the same. We are disappointed to note that only those dilapidated buildings, where some real estate interests lie, are actively pursued for demolition, in spite of the fact that they are much better in condition, as compared to other structures standing ignored and abandoned.”
Listing of weak structures must not be used as tool to evict occupants: Ex-MMC chief
MARGAO: Former Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho has cautioned that identification/ listing of weak structures should not be used as a tool to evict occupants, at the behest of real estate developers.
“Now, with a decade having passed by, since the last survey, it becomes mandatory for the Council/ authorities to re-evaluate such structures posing danger to public life and property,” opined Savio Coutinho.
He recalled that a list of dilapidated buildings were identified way back and notices were issued to the owners/ occupants of these premises. “Quite ironically, the old Camara de Salcete building, which was earlier resolved for preservation, was also one among them listed for demolition. Only for us to later realise that a councillor himself had personal gains in the demolition. It was the timely intervention of concerned citizens of Margao that got together and saved this structure of historical significance. Sadly though, not much was done for its preservation, except for tall announcements time and again.”
