BENGALURU: In the backdrop of the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse on Wednesday that left seven persons dead, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar said he has asked the corporation officials to identify old and dangerous buildings and compound walls that may impact the common man.
He said the Traffic Department has identified 448 trees that can cause loss to life or property and has given instructions to Bengaluru City Police and the Corporations to go ahead and remove such trees, which are necessary for the free flow of vehicular traffic.
The workers under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike had started identifying and removing unauthorised and unsafe buildings after nine workers were killed following a building collapse at Babusab Palya on October 22, 2024. However, the operation was halted later.
Similarly, a dilapidated 70-year-old three-storey building collapsed in Subbaraju Layout in Lakkasandra in Adugodi in 2021. Accordingly, over 500 such weak and dangerous buildings were identified.
Experts had said the Corporation must serve notice and give 15 days’ time to owners and inhabitants to vacate and raze the building on their own, failing which the civic body itself will raze the structure. But these actions have only remained knee-jerk reactions.
Bowring Wall Collapse: Shivajinagar EE, AEE placed under suspension Executive Engineer Mohammed Javed and Assistant Executive Engineer Rudramuni have been placed under suspension. Also, a show cause notice is issued to dean of the Bowring Hospital. As per a top official from BCCC, the action is being questioned as the Corporation is no where concerned since the property belongs to the medical college.
“The Health and Family Welfare Additional Chief Secretary said he will issue notice, but the CM was insisting on direct action. However at first step, only notice is issued. There will be probe on the role of maintenance engineer of the institute. To send a message to public that action has been taken following the incident, two GBA engineers have been suspended,” said the official, adding that if the government failed to lift the suspension, the officials will be encouraged to approach court as they are nowhere connected to the incident.
Treefall
376 Trees
981 Branches fell across GBA limits from April 29 to May 1
B’luru Central City Corpn 121, 204
East City Corpn 6,8
West City Corpn 152, 481
South City Corpn 62, 186
North City Corpn 35, 102