Advertisement
What really powers the cloud? Behind every Google search, A...
A lot of what defines a home isn’t visible at handover. I...
Private equity has played a significant role in shaping Indi...
Luxury real estate is one of the most talked-about segments ...
Airports play a much bigger role than just enabling travel -...
The West Bengal government has launched a comprehensive safety audit of sanctioned high-rise residential and commercial projects in and around Kolkata following the collapse of an under-construction warehouse that claimed 11 lives earlier this week. A committee comprising officials from multiple government agencies, along with experts from RITES and IIT Kharagpur, will scrutinise approved building plans, structural integrity and fire safety compliance before suspended projects are permitted to resume. The exercise will also extend to waterbodies, construction site maintenance and public safety measures. Commercial projects currently under construction will remain suspended until they receive clearance through the audit process, with the government stating that development would continue only after compliance with prescribed safety standards.
The West Bengal government has initiated a state-led audit of sanctioned high-rise residential and commercial building projects in and around Kolkata following the fatal collapse of an under-construction warehouse in the Taratala area earlier this week. The audit will examine structural safety, approved building plans and fire safety compliance before suspended commercial construction projects are allowed to resume. The decision follows the warehouse collapse that left 11 people dead and prompted a wider review of construction practices and regulatory oversight across the metropolitan region.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said a committee constituted for the exercise would begin its work during the past week. The panel includes representatives from the state government as well as technical experts from RITES and IIT Kharagpur, who will examine sanctioned plans and assess whether ongoing developments comply with applicable structural and safety standards. Construction activity on affected commercial projects has been suspended until July 31, although projects that successfully complete the scrutiny process may be permitted to resume before that date.
According to the chief minister, the objective of the audit is to ensure that public safety is not compromised while allowing development activity to continue in accordance with approved norms. He indicated that the government was not seeking to halt construction permanently but intended to verify that projects under execution met structural, engineering and regulatory requirements before work recommenced.
The audit programme extends beyond structural assessments. The government has directed authorities to review fire safety systems in commercial and residential developments and undertake an audit of waterbodies in identified urban areas. Developers will also be instructed to maintain construction sites properly by preventing stagnant water accumulation and ensuring basic site management practices that minimise public health and safety risks.
Officials are also preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) that will guide inspections across Kolkata, Salt Lake, New Town, Howrah, Dum Dum, Joka and other urban centres covered by the exercise. The SOP will establish uniform parameters for evaluating structural quality, fire safety infrastructure and compliance with approved building plans. Government representatives informed developers that worker welfare would also remain an important component of the inspection process during the audit.
The state government's decision follows the warehouse collapse in Taratala, which triggered rescue operations involving multiple agencies and renewed scrutiny of construction quality and project approvals. The latest audit is expected to cover high-rise residential and commercial developments approved by the previous administration, with authorities examining compliance before permitting work to continue. The exercise represents one of the state's most extensive reviews of urban construction safety and regulatory compliance in recent years.
Source - PTI
Advertisement
Facebook
Whatsapp
