Kolkata building collapse: Residents lament illegal construction 'continuing'

A narrow lane with small houses having tiled rooftops on both sides leads to an open space which is now filled with rubble, as an under-construction building fell like a pack of cards in Garden Reach, a south Kolkata neighbourhood. The late-night incident so far claimed nine lives and lifted the lid on an issue that surfaces from time to time in the metropolis - illegal construction with substandard materials allegedly backed by local toughs with political links.

This time, the incident occurred in the constituency of Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim who is also the Mayor of Kolkata.

Though Hakim and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, both of whom visited the site, assured people of stern action against the culprits, locals did not appear too optimistic.


"Our area used to have a number of ponds. Now, we don't have any. All ponds were filled up and illegal buildings have mushroomed in the locality," said one of the residents who refused to be named fearing that he might be targeted later.

Several people alleged that multi-storied structures by local promoters routinely flout regulations.

These buildings are either completely or partially illegal, with unauthorized floors added or leaving no open spaces that are mandatory," claimed a resident.

This sentiment is echoed by Amina Khatun (name changed on request), whose daughter narrowly escaped the disaster.

"Several buildings here are built on what were once water bodies," Khatun claimed.

Mayor Firhad Hakim, however, denied any knowledge of illegal activities.

He, however, said that there could have been a "lapse on the part of the officials" for failing to monitor whether constructions in the locality were being made in accordance with the law.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials claimed to have demolished 50 illegal buildings and served notices to 300 more in the area over the past year.

The opposition BJP is demanding a list of all unauthorized constructions.

Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari has vowed to file an RTI seeking details from the KMC.