The Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has, of late, embarked upon a plan to demolish dilapidated buildings declared unsafe for use long ago. The CCC drive against worn-out structures listed as risky by the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) began from January 20 last. Earlier the CCC dismantled a few other risky buildings but the drive remained stalled due to political unrest. Three days after Rana Plaza disaster at Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka city on April 24 last year, the CCC started demolishing a risky building, known as Shebak Colony, used by the cleaners of the Corporation at Patharghata under Kotwali Police Station. Shebak Colony was listed as a vulnerable building long ago and the CCC tried to demolish it on several occasions in the past but failed as the occupants refused to quit at that time. The CCC plans to demolish other risky buildings in course of time. But a quick solution to the problem is not in sight.
The Khulna City Corporation (KCC), on the other hand, has now decided to pull down Khulna Public Hall, known as Zia Hall, for constructing a twenty-storey city centre there. In 1989 Zia Hall was built on an area of 4.5 bighas of land at Shib Bari intersection under Sonadanga Police station of Khulna city. The purpose of building this public hall was to provide the people with a venue to hold meetings, seminars and cultural functions. The hall was built in 1992 but its construction was so poor that the KCC authorities declared the building unsafe for use in 2010. The hall started developing cracks all around its walls, roof and floor.
It is known to all that the collapse of the Rana Plaza building claiming lives of a large number of garment workers and injuring hundred others with many people reported missing, has shaken public confidence in safety of concrete structures in major cities and towns of the country. In fact, some other buildings including Rana Tower of the same owner at Savar were found to have developed cracks on the same day of Rana Plaza tragedy.
How many buildings, particularly high-rise ones in the capital are unsafe, is difficult to ascertain in the absence of proper survey.
According to a report prepared by the ministry of housing and public works in 2010, the number of risky buildings in the country is about 80,000. The ministry of disaster management,  on the other hand, estimates that the number of unsafe buildings will be 72,000. A senior official of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) had made an alarming disclosure that 82% to 90% buildings outside the limits of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) have been constructed without RAJUK approval. A large number of areas in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur districts, particularly Savar, Ashulia and Tongi, were brought under the jurisdiction of RAJUK when the authority approved Detailed Area Plan (DAP) in 2010.
RAJUK's approval is mandatory for constructing any building in Dhaka city and in areas under DAP. Most of the buildings in DAP areas outside the city have no RAJUK approval. After Rana Plaza tragedy, the RAJUK started issuing notices to the owners of those unauthorized buildings with intimation to all other relevant departments. Before the DAP was taken, the local government authorities were empowered to approve building plans beyond DCC limits. The condition of many high-rise buildings in Dhaka city is not also satisfactory.
We are constrained to say that the authorities concerned are found active only after a disaster strikes. At the moment it is not possible to dismantle hundreds of risky buildings. But architects suggest that many vulnerable buildings can be retrofitted. For an example, the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital building, Bangladesh Secretariat and Fire Service Headquarters come into the category of vulnerable sites. Those can be retrofitted immediately.
It is a bitter truth that many unscrupulous people continue to carryout illegal constructions with political influence. Before we face another disaster like Rana Plaza collapse, the government must move fast to prevent construction of illegal buildings now being taking place. The authority should also ensure that the existing building code is followed in letter and spirit.
(E-mail: khalilbdh@gmail.com)
Demolishing risky buildings
Khalilur Rahman | Published: February 09, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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