BHUBANESWAR: As Bhubaneswar Development Authority goes after kalyan mandaps, sealing at least two more on Tuesday, it is about time to take a fresh look at why these private facilities which play venue for numerous weddings and other social functions in the Capital are facing the music. Of the 94 kalyan mandaps brought under the assessment of BDA, just 14 partially comply to building and civic norms, says the development authority. The rest have come up with a brazen violation of Odisha Development Authority Act as well as rules and regulations of other agencies of the Government.
However, inability to get the requisite clearances and approvals has not prevented these kalyan mandaps from functioning. Taking advantage of loopholes in the system, most have made brisk business.Many have failed to furnish record of rights (RoR), others have not received building plan approval while a large number of them have no clearance including occupancy certificates, fire and trade license. And of course, parking place.
It all started when Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation carried out a survey in December and found serious irregularities in 94 kalyan mandaps. By January 22, only 14 are found to have complied with the civic norms, but partially.Sample the violations: Not a single kalyan mandap fully complies to all norms. More than 80 kalyan mandaps have not been able to produce their record of rights, while 58 mandaps do not have building plan approval. Just 11 have obtained the building plan approval.
Seven mandaps have approval for residential and holiday home but use it for commercial purposes for which these have no clearance. As many as 18 mandaps were not able to produce building plan approval certificates to BDA at the time inspection. Then comes the biggest headache - parking. Though about 50 per cent of the built-up area of the mandap has to be earmarked for parking, a whopping 61 mandaps simply do not have parking facility. Of the remaining 33, six run without adequate parking area.
That is not all. Only 25 mandaps have obtained trade license while 40 are yet to secure it. Remaining 29 mandaps have not renewed their expired license. None of the kalyan mandaps have waste management facility, while only one has proper sewage discharge facility. Worse of it all, since many have not been obtained building plan approval, they don’t have fire license too.
For years, Government agencies including BDA and BMC remained oblivious to these flagrant violations which led to mushrooming of such facilities. BDA officials, who admit that unauthorised mandaps thrived in the city due to lack of enforcement, assure that none will be spared anymore. “Legal action will taken against the sealed mandaps if they function without complying with the norms,” said a senior officer. In fact, at least a third of these facilities have started to secure all approvals after both BDA and BMC launched the drive.
Additional Commissioner, BMC Surath Chandra Mallick said action will be taken against mandaps functioning without compliance to the provisions of ODA Act. Violators will face criminal charges. Out of 80 mandaps having irregularities, those not complying with any at all are being sealed in the first phase. So far 10 such mandaps have been sealed so far. Enforcement will continue, he said.
Waste management facility absent in most mandaps
No fire safety in absence of building plan approval