Bhubaneswar, Sep 8 — In the wake of a recent 5-storey students' hostel building collapse in Satya Niketan of New Delhi that claimed the lives of seven persons, the Odisha Government has intensified its drive to identify, assess and take action against buildings posing a threat to life and property across the State.
The Odisha Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra on Tuesday said that the government has already undertaken an assessment of unsafe government buildings and notices have been issued wherever required. He said the department has undertaken a fresh review of the situation and directed officials to expedite necessary action against buildings found to be unsafe.
“Based on the assessment, all government buildings identified as unsafe have been examined, and notices have also been issued. I had called for another review with the Department yesterday. Very soon, notices will be issued for demolition of those buildings which have been found unsafe,” Dr Mahapatra said.
The Minister made it clear that the Government would take firm and timely action against unsafe structures falling under its jurisdiction. Buildings under the H&UD department will be dealt with by the department itself, while structures belonging to other government departments will be brought to the notice of the respective authorities for appropriate action. Importantly, the Government has also decided to bring unsafe private buildings under the ambit of the ongoing safety assessment.
The Minister said that notices would be issued to owners of private buildings found to be in a dangerous or structurally vulnerable condition, as per applicable rules and statutory provisions.
To ensure a comprehensive and time-bound assessment, a 15-day inquiry and inspection team has been constituted. The team will undertake detailed inspections of buildings identified as potentially unsafe, examine their structural condition and submit its findings within the stipulated period.
“The inquiry team will conduct a thorough inquiry and investigation into the matter. After inspection, whichever buildings are found to fall under the unsafe category will be demolished,” the Minister stated.
The officials stated that the initiative assumes particular significance in cities such as Kataka and Puri, where a number of old and privately owned structures require closer examination. The concerned Urban Local Bodies and other authorities will undertake necessary inspections and identify buildings that may pose risks to residents, pedestrians and the general public.
The Government has emphasised that the exercise is essentially preventive and safety-oriented, aimed at identifying structural risks before they result in loss of life or property. The authorities will accordingly assess the condition of buildings and initiate action wherever structures are found to be beyond safe occupation or repair.
The H&UD Department will coordinate with Urban Local Bodies and other concerned government departments to ensure that notices, inspections and subsequent action are undertaken in a systematic and time-bound manner.