5-yr jail, fine for illegal bldgs, filling of ponds in Salt Lake
Times of India | 7 May 2024
Kolkata: Following the Garden Reach unauthorised building collapse, the state urban development and municipal affairs (UD&MA) department has come up with a detailed guideline for all municipal bodies and municipal corporations falling under West Bengal (municipal) building rules, 2007, across the state to deal with unauthorised constructions, illegal filling up of water bodies to construct buildings and unfit structures.
While Kolkata Municipal Corporation and New Town Kolkata Development Authority won’t come under the purview of the notice as they have their own building rules, it will apply to Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation.
It also said that the municipal bodies and municipal corporations can start proceedings against the errant developers and under relevant acts, offenders can face imprisonment of five years with a fine of Rs 50,000.
Officials said the authorities often receive grievance petitions with allegations of unauthorised construction and petitions before courts over alleged illegal filling up of water bodies. Keeping this in mind, the UD&MA department has felt it necessary to reiterate relevant rules in the form of guidelines for the convenience of civic bodies to discharge their duty to regulate building operations in their jurisdiction.
All civic bodies are required to keep regular surveillance of construction sites to ensure that the developers comply with the provisions of the West Bengal (municipal) building rules, 2007.
It has been specifically mentioned that during mutation of a newly built building, officials should be examining the sanctioned building plan to check whether any structure under question has been sanctioned by the municipal body along with completion certificate.
Civic bodies may form teams to conduct ward-wise inspections of work sites. If officials dim fit, they may disconnect water connections at the sites where unauthorised constructions are on.
All urban bodies have been instructed to strictly adhere to the legal provisions as reiterated in the guidelines so that building operations are carried out as per the provisions of law and stern action are taken against offenders as per rules.
The guidelines also mention about proper management and disposal of construction and demolition waste. All kinds of construction and demolition waste generated in different areas of urban local bodies within the Kolkata Metropolitan Area will need to be sent to the Patharghata waste processing facility developed by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
KMC environment department follows the state inland fisheries act to book offenders. “Wherever we find illegal construction after filling up ponds, we first warn offenders by sending a notice to stop work immediately and restore the pond. If we find no action is taken, an FIR is lodged at the local PS. Then we move court against such illegal activities,” said an official. According to him, the offender may need to cough up Rs 1 lakh as fine and face jail for five years, too.