Dera Bassi Building collapse: ‘Old material was being used for construction’

Mohali, September 25

No lessons seem to have been learnt from the past incidents of building collapses in the district.

In the preliminary inquiry into a building collapse incident, which claimed four lives yesterday, the authorities have found that old material was being used to construct the commercial building and that too without concrete pillars. Brick pillars were being constructed by the owner to save money. The owner had got the building plan sanctioned from the authorities.

SDM Kuldeep Singh Bawa said the owner had got the building plan sanctioned for the ground as well as the first floor. Further investigations were on and the report would be submitted after completing the enquiry.

Earlier, magisterial probes have been ordered and FIRs had been registered against builders and promoters in two building collapse incidents in Mohali district, but no action has been taken against them yet.

Builders managed to get all requisite clearances and permissions pertaining to the construction of buildings were attained from the MC.

On February 8 this year, a triple-story building with a basement at Sante Majra village on the Kharar-Landran road had collapsed. A JCB operator, who was digging the basement, died after the building came crashing on him.

The enquiry report of the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Kharar, had indicted the builder and the contractor equally responsible for the mishap. The inquiry report found that the basement had been dug up beyond the permissible limit and the sanctioned depth, which had exposed the foundation of the adjacent three-storeyed building leading to collapse. The report had further said that the builder also did not inform the Municipal Council before digging-up the basement.

In another incident of building collapse on April 12, 2018, a three-storey housing society building, Imperial Garden, nearing completion had collapsed in the Peer Muchalla area of Zirakpur. No casually was reported in the incident. In both incidents, enquiry reports had indicted the builder and the contractor and cases were registered against them. However no action has been taken in both cases as these were now sub judice. — TNS