Considering the possible threat from the dangerous, old, and dilapidated buildings to the residents, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) initiated a demolition drive against such buildings in the Begumpura area on Tuesday. It is the first time that the corporation has initiated such a drive in the city.
Before the advent of the monsoon, CSMC issued notices to the owners of the old and dilapidated buildings in the city. These buildings pose a severe threat to the residents. However, CSMC has never initiated any drive to demolish such buildings. This year, the corporation has shown a strict attitude towards such buildings and started demolishing them. Earlier, an old building was demolished in the Old Mondha area. On Tuesday, the corporation turned its attention to the old buildings in Begumpura. A two-storey old building was demolished by the anti-encroachment squad.
The corporation had no data about the old and dangerous buildings in the city. Last year, some owners of such buildings were served notices and the administration had data on only these buildings available. This year, the corporation conducted a survey and found that there are around 47 such dangerous buildings in the city. All the owners were served notices to demolish the buildings themselves within three days as they posed a severe life threat to the residents. The owners were warned that strict action would be taken if the buildings were not demolished.
The corporation, after the completion of the given time limit, started the action against such buildings. Initially, a two-storey building was demolished in Old Mondha. On Tuesday, a dilapidated building of Chandrakant Rautale was demolished.
The action was executed by Additional Municipal Commissioner Santosh Wahule, Deputy Commissioner Savita Sonave, Ward Officer Sanjay Suradkar, Building Inspector Rameshwar Surase, and others.
Out of the 48 dangerous buildings, 15 are in very bad condition and will be demolished soon. The corporation will seal 33 buildings and no one will be allowed to use these buildings during the rainy season. Hence, the owners have been directed to take away necessary articles from the house and stay elsewhere, Wahule said.
