West Bengal Expands Building Audit After Kolkata Warehouse Collapse
Following the collapse of a warehouse in Kolkata's Tartala area that killed at least 15 labourers, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expanded the scope of a special building audit beyond the capital city.
The state government ordered the suspension of all under-construction commercial projects in Kolkata until July 31. On Friday, after chairing a meeting of the Urban Development Department, Banerjee announced that the audit will now also cover residential and commercial buildings of six storeys or more (G+5 and above) in Howrah, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas.
“All G+5 residential or commercial buildings and above will be considered a high-rise. The committee, headed by senior officer Rajesh Pandey and comprising officials from various departments along with experts from RITES and IIT Kharagpur, will begin implementing the audit of all high-rise residential and commercial buildings,” the chief minister said.
The decision comes in the wake of the warehouse collapse, which raised serious concerns about building safety and compliance with regulations in the state. The audit aims to identify structural vulnerabilities and ensure adherence to construction norms.
The high-level committee will prioritize buildings that are under construction or recently completed. The government has not specified a timeline for the completion of the audit but emphasized that it will be conducted thoroughly.
Opposition parties have criticized the government's response, alleging that the tragedy could have been prevented with stricter enforcement of building codes. The government has defended its actions, stating that the audit expansion demonstrates its commitment to public safety.
