BMC to demolish unsafe buildings before monsoon

BHOPAL: Ahead of the monsoon season, constructions along Hoshanagabad road, Arera Colony and Motia Talab that have been identified as unsafe, would be demolished.Mayor Alok Sharma has warned that there are 163 locations in the city that could present a clear and present danger.

Sharma said many structures in the state capital are unsafe and violate rules. Many of these constructions along drains or water bodies could cause ‘Uttarakhand-like disaster’, said Sharma. In 2013, Uttarakhand witnessed one of the worst devastating floods and landslides following heavy rains. In Bhopal too, seven people had died last year owing to heavy rains and over 20,000 were displaced.

“Clearing these structures could cause a public backlash. We have requested the district collector to inspect these sites and order requisite action,” said Sharma, speaking on the sidelines of ‘Bhopal Choupal’ a weekly open forum for grievance redressal.

Sharma cited the instance of hospital lane along Motia Talab. Located near Taj-ul-Masajid, the area is controversially developed and marred in litigation. “The constructions are a public health risk. Immediate action should be taken. The embankment that holds the constructions might not withstand that pressure for long,” said Sharma.

Going by Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) records, only nine of the 213 buildings around the water body have the requisite building permissions. It is estimated that of the 11.99 acre land of the Talab, around 7 acre is under encroachment comprising 159 houses, 14 hospitals, 20 shops and hotels.
The decision would also affect a dozen odd private hospitals, pathology laboratories and nursing homes operating in front of Taj-ul-Masajid. Similar moves in 2014 after National Green Tribunal (NGT) directive failed to make an impact.

Sharma also cited a three storey building in E-11 Arera Colony that is built right on a drain. Sharma said that lavish apartments on the drain were approved by the housing board.
Ahead of the monsoon, the civic body is gearing up to clear clogged drains.

Bhopal: Mayor Alok Sharma has ordered testing of water by the civic body and an independent agency to ascertain the reasons behind death of thousands of fishes on the water body. The death of the fishes was reported first by TOI. “If water sampling tests indicate that the water has been impacted due to human interference, action against the erring officials would be initiated,” said Sharma. Green activist Subash Pandey has alleged that construction of proposed entertainment park and jetty by the BMC and directorate of sports respectively has adversely the water body. Upper Lake is the source of drinking water for half the residents of the state capital. It is the country’s largest man-made lake in India and protected under the UN Ramsar convention.

Bhopal: Erring or underperforming civic body staffers would be sent on ‘loop-line’ or forced to move away from field work, said mayor Alok Sharma. “It has been reported that many officers and staffer have been underperforming. A new mechanism is being proposed which would relegate erring personnel and incentivise performers,” he said.