KOLKATA: On Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a suspension of all under-construction commercial projects approved by the previous TMC government until July 31, following a warehouse collapse that resulted in five fatalities.
After visiting the accident site, the chief minister revealed that initial reports indicated significant flaws in the approved building plans for the collapsed warehouse.
“I have instructed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) commissioner and the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department to halt work on all projects approved by the previous regime, especially those that involved filling water bodies. We will conduct an audit of all such projects,” Adhikari stated during a press conference at the state secretariat, Nabanna.
The audit will also extend to the Howrah and Bidhannagar municipal areas.
The audit will be performed by a multi-agency team comprising officials from the Public Works Department (PWD), Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency Services, Kolkata Police, and KMC, all under the supervision of the chief secretary. This team will review site plans, building plans, and conduct on-site inspections prior to submitting their report.
Projects involving land leased from Kolkata Metro and the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA) will also be part of the audit.
The aim is to ensure compliance with all safety regulations and norms. Every project included in the audit will be thoroughly examined, and a special committee overseen by the chief secretary will supervise the entire process.
However, construction related to essential services, such as hospitals and fire brigade infrastructure, will continue unaffected by this suspension order. “Projects connected to hospitals and emergency services will proceed, as they are crucial,” the chief minister noted.
This announcement followed the tragic collapse of an under-construction warehouse, which resulted in five deaths and multiple injuries. A comprehensive rescue operation involving police, fire services, civil defence, and army personnel was conducted.
According to preliminary findings from KMC engineers, there were defects in the approved building plan for the warehouse. “I was informed that the plan was sanctioned on January 17 this year. The land is owned by SMPA and leased to Sambhunath Behera, who is a partner of Behera Brothers. A preliminary report indicates the plan was flawed. Technical experts are reviewing all aspects for a detailed report,” he commented.
Adhikari emphasized that initial assessments suggest the collapse was not caused by heavy rainfall or poor soil conditions, stating, “What I observed suggests that the structure did not give way due to rain or soft soil. If that were the case, the structure would have bent before collapsing.”
Further details on legal actions and compensation for the victims will be addressed in the Assembly on Thursday. “I received indications from KMC engineers that the building plan was incorrect, and I expect a report soon to present in the Assembly,” he confirmed.
The authorities are verifying whether the victims were local residents or had traveled from other states for work. According to Adhikari, many rescued workers escaped without injuries, with four sustaining severe injuries and around 10 to 12 currently receiving treatment at SSKM Hospital.
The CM accused the previous administration of approving numerous warehouses through corrupt practices, stating, “It’s widely known that these godowns were sanctioned in exchange for bribes. We will address these issues gradually.”
He defended the decision to deploy Army personnel and other specialized agencies for the rescue operation, explaining, “When necessary machinery for cutting through concrete and steel isn’t available, assistance is required. We called upon the Army, NDRF, and other specialized agencies to expedite the rescue effort, while our role from the state secretariat has been to oversee and coordinate via the control room at Nabanna.”
Rescue operations continued into the evening. Drawing parallels to last year’s Garden Reach building collapse that claimed 13 lives, Adhikari claimed that the response during that incident was slower and less effective.
Local MLA and former Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim was reportedly barred by police from visiting the collapse site due to concerns about potential backlash, prompting him to instead visit SSKM Hospital to check on the injured.
