IIT Roorkee experts to help Metro in crack zone
Even Trinamool Congress legislator Tapas Roy, a resident of Bowbazar, is thinking of shifting elsewhere after fresh cracks appeared in the buildings due to the East West Metro work, there are a lot of others who have no safer places to go to.
According to the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL), two houses at Durga Pithuri Lane in Central Kolkata will be partly demolished on Monday as these have been badly affected.
Metro officials held a meeting with the affected persons,
the local councillor, Bishwarup Dey and MLA Nayan Bandhopadhyay on Sunday. Meanwhile, amid protest from the affected persons, CN Jha, managing director, KMRCL, assured of all assistance. “Following the cracks,
KMRCL officials say our houses will be demolished but I have no idea where to stash my valuables and furniture. I don’t even have a rented apartment,” said an affected person.
Some were seen demanding alternative places to check in as they didn’t wish to continue in “such death traps”.
TMC Chowringhee MLA Nayana Bandhopadhyay said despite having handed over “fit certificate” to these houses two years back, some houses developed cracks due to metro work and slammed the (metro) officials for being “careless”. NC Karmali, director (project) of KMRCL, had earlier said despite all precautions, the mishaps occurred due to water seepage.
Notably, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is inspecting the place through experts from Jadavpur University and KMRCL is taking advice from experts of IIT Roorkee and further decision about the affected buildings will be taken after experts from the two renowned institutions submit their reports.
Meanwhile, the East West Metro works were delayed by six months due to such a mishap. At least nine houses suffered damage with over 140 people being shifted to hotels. A similar incident happened at the same place on August 31, 2019.
Meanwhile, cracks sparked a political slugfest with the BJP alleging the ruling Trinamool Congress was negligent and said Metro officials too were “careless”.