1 dies in house collapse

KMC had declared the building condemned

statesman news service 
Kolkata, 3 July
One person was killed and another injured when a portion of the balcony of a century-old building on Maharshi Devendra Road in Burrabazar collapsed this morning. 
Police and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials went to the spot and began clearing the debris. The KMC will pull down the dangerous portion of the balcony. 
At around 9.15 am a portion of the first floor of the balcony, which was converted into a kitchen, caved in. Alerted by a loud thud local people went to the spot and found Ramanand Mahato (52) a porter lying trapped inside the debris. Mrs Bimala Kedia, tenant of the first floor flat who was cooking when the accident took place was also injured. Mahato was taken to RG Kar Medical College where he was pronounced dead while Mrs Kedia was admitted to the Marwari Relief Society Hospital in a critical condition.  
Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said that the building had been declared as condemned and the owner had been asked to vacate it.  
Senior KMC officials said 2,582 buildings have been identified as insecure and dangerous and notices have been served to their owners. But none has vacated them and continue to stay, thereby risking their lives. It may be recalled that traffic along Creek Row had to be suspended for over a week in February  to clear the rubble when a portion of an old building collapsed. The officials said most of the dilapidated structures are in north Kolkata and the owners expressed their inability to repair them because of the paltry amount they get as rent. To resolve the vexed issue the KMC Act needs to be amended.

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