Odisha orders scrutiny of dilapidated buildings; identification deadline set

Bhubaneswar, Sep 8 (PTI) The Odisha government has formed a team to identify unsafe buildings in the state within a fortnight, following which owners would be issued notices and the structures subsequently demolished, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said.

He said the government has already assessed the safety of its own buildings and notices have been issued wherever required. The Housing and Urban Development Department has undertaken a fresh review of the situation and directed officials to expedite necessary action against buildings found to be unsafe, the minister told reporters.

The action came within days of the collapse of a five-storey building housing a boys' paying guest accommodation near Delhi University's South Campus in which seven people died, and five were injured.

"Based on the assessment, all government buildings identified as unsafe have been examined, and notices have also been issued. I called for another review with the department yesterday. Very soon, notices will be issued for demolition of those buildings which have been found unsafe," Mahapatra said.

He made it clear that the government would take firm and timely action against unsafe structures. Unsafe buildings under the Housing and Urban Development Department will be dealt with by the department itself, while structures belonging to other departments will be brought to the notice of the respective authorities for appropriate action, the minister said.

The government has also decided to bring unsafe private buildings under the ambit of the ongoing safety assessment.

"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, examine their structural condition and submit its findings within the stipulated period," he told reporters here.

Notices would be issued to owners of buildings found to be in a dangerous or structurally vulnerable condition and subsequently demolished, Mahapatra said.

Officials said several old and privately owned structures in Cuttack and Puri require closer examination. The urban local bodies and other authorities concerned will undertake necessary inspections and identify buildings that may pose risks to public safety, they said.