Shimla: Govt orders demolition of house, repairs in 3 buildings in Kachi Ghati

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 24

The government has ordered the demolition of a house and repairs in three other buildings that were damaged and declared unsafe when an eight-storeyed building had collapsed in the city’s Kachi Ghati area a few months back. Besides, the government has also ordered a safety audit of other buildings in the area. “The government has passed these orders on the basis of the recommendations made by expert teams from IIT-Mandi and NIT-Hamirpur,” said MC Commissioner Ashish Kohli.

IIT, NIT experts make recommendations

The government has passed these orders on the basis of the recommendations made by expert teams from IIT-Mandi and NIT-Hamirpur. — Ashish Kohli, MC Commissioner

As per orders, a building which was significantly damaged by the collapsed building will have to be demolished. “Four buildings were affected, two below and two above the collapsed building. Narayan Cottage will have to be dismantled, while the nearby Chauhan Cottage will need to reconstruct the ridge and a retaining wall that had caved in. Both these buildings were below the collapsed structure,” said Kohli.

The two buildings that are above the collapsed structure along the highway will also need to carry out some restoration work. “Hari Palace and Pooja Cottage will have to remove the projections from cantilevers, and build a retaining wall,” said Kohli. “All the repairs/constructions ordered by the government will be overseen by a technical committee.”

Incidentally, the MC had declared all these buildings unsafe and had ordered their demolition to ensure other buildings in the vicinity did not suffer any damage. However, the Hari Palace owner took a stay from the court, following which the MC decided to get the buildings reassessed from experts of IIT-Mandi and NIT-Hamirpur. “We are delighted with the orders. It’s a huge relief for us and we are thankful to the government for not demolishing our building,” said Rohan Kukreja, owner of Hari Palace.

Besides, a separate committee will be formed for conducting the safety audit of the buildings in the area. “The committee members will soon meet and decide on future course of action,” said Kohli. The MC will also do soil testing of the area to get a clear picture of the strata of the area. “Until the owners carry out the orders and do the recommended works, the buildings will not be habitable,” said Kohli.