KOCHI: As many as 130 old commercial buildings in the city limits are posing a threat to the the public as these are partially damaged or on the verge of collapse. The shocking findings were revealed during a survey by the Kochi corporation to find unsafe buildings in the city. The corporation carried out the survey after a five-decade old commercial building adjacent to a hotel near North railway station tilted and its walls developed cracks.
Since this is a preliminary report, the number of buildings that are in a dilapidated state due to lack of maintenance will go up as the corporation is awaiting the final report from its engineers who have tasked with preparing the list.
“The buildings which are very old and pose a threat to the public have been included in the report. Some of them are decades old. A showcause notice will be served on the owners of the buildings. Since there can be disputes, we will hold a hearing of the building owners before initiating further steps,” said a corporation official requesting anonymity.
The report says several commercial buildings located in the heart of the city will have to be demolished owing to lack of structural stability. A major chunk of the buildings come in Edappally, Fort Kochi, and Vyttila zones. “A final report will be prepared after carrying out a stability test of the buildings. Lack of maintenance is a major reason for their pathetic state,” said the official.
However, demolishing the buildings will be a herculean task for the corporation as 700 shops are functioning in these. “Several shop owners will be forced to remove their stocks and relocate. It will be difficult to make them understand the pathetic state of the buildings.
It was sheer luck that no tragedy occurred when the building near the station tilted and leant on the adjacent structure,” the official said. Opposition leader Antony Kureethara in the council alleged that some people have started an attempt to demolish heritage buildings and acquire valuable antiquities, which have been included in the heritage list, in defiance of the mayor’s order to demolish old buildings.