Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The fate of the 45-year-old Shalimar Trade Centre, a multi-storey building located on Hamidia Road and considered structurally weak, now rests on a detailed inspection report being prepared by experts from the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT). The building has emerged as a major concern amid ongoing underground tunnelling work for the city’s Metro project.
On Thursday, a team of structural experts from MANIT, accompanied by officials from the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Metro authorities, carried out a comprehensive physical inspection of the six-storey building. The assessment, which lasted nearly 90 minutes, included a close examination of the structure and collection of material samples from various sections.
Metro officials stated that no decision regarding evacuation will be taken until the report is reviewed. The building has become a potential risk due to ongoing tunnelling work beneath the area.
Basement vacated, upper floors still functional
Given the potential risk posed by tunnelling, the basement of the Shalimar Trade Centre has been vacated. However, commercial activities continue on the ground and upper floors, where offices, shops, and a hotel are still operational. Local businessman Upendra Singh Sengar confirmed that only the basement has been cleared so far, while the rest of the building remains in use.
Delay in inspection raises questions
The inspection comes eight days after concerns about the building’s safety first surfaced. On March 30, tunnelling work under the Orange Line project began using the Durgavati Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). As a precautionary measure, Metro authorities had installed iron supports in the building two days prior to the excavation. Although the issue came to light on March 31, bureaucratic delays and slow correspondence from the BMC postponed the inspection. MANIT received the official request only on April 7, following which the team conducted the site visit on Thursday.
Official Statement
MS Chauhan, Head of the Civil Engineering Department at MANIT, said that the final report is expected on Friday. Based on its findings, the BMC and Metro authorities will decide the next course of action, including whether the building needs to be evacuated.
