Scared residents of tilting bldg in Thakurpukur lodge police plaint
Times of India | 22 April 2024
Kolkata: Three days after reports of three tilted buildings in a housing society in Maniktala’s Muraripukur area had created an uproar, a 15-year-old residential building on James Long Sarani near Thakurpukur has come under the spotlight.
On Saturday, residents of 24 flats in Megha Apartment, at 56, James Long Sarani, lodged a diary with Thakurpukur police station stating that their G+4 structure has tilted to the right over the years.
One of the flat owners, Mohini Chatterjee, wrote in the complaint to cops: “Our building has tilted and we are concerned about our safety. We have contacted the builder, Uttam Roy, about the matter but he has not taken any decision. We urge you to take prompt action and help us find a solution. We request your assistance in arranging for an inspection by the KMC engineers to assess the condition of the building before any Garden Reach-like tragedy occurs.”
The building came up in 2009 according to a sanctioned plan. “Over the years, the structure has gradually tilted to the right and many locals have started to call it ‘banka bari (tilted building)’. When we informed the promoter about the matter, he started avoiding us. Later, he asked us to sell the apartment to him at the rate of purchase, to which we did not agree,” said another flat owner, Somnath Pan, a private bank employee.
His wife Jhimli said, “At present, we are unable to live in our flat because of the tilt. We had informed cops and civic officials earlier, too, but nothing happened.”
When TOI contacted Roy, he said, “When the property was handed over to the flat owners, the building was straight. Had the residents maintained it properly, it would not have tilted.”
A KMC official said, “A building tilts when there are defects in construction. Our engineers need to assess the stru-cture and, if need be, conduct a non-destructive structural test to check if it can be repaired or have to be razed. Once we receive a complaint, we wi-ll send engineers to inspect.”