Panaji: A portion of the
balcony
of an old building in
Mapusa
collapsed on Friday, causing damage to several
vehicles
.
The incident happened around 12 noon near the Burye petrol pump. Two bikes and one car were heavily damaged, while another car suffered minor damage. A labourer sleeping on the footpath had a narrow escape, but suffered minor
injuries
.
Mapusa Municipal Council (
MMC
) councillor Sudhir Kandolkar said that there is a need for the municipality to initiate a fresh
survey
to identify
dangerous buildings
that are unsafe for human occupation and pose a threat to commuters.
“MMC had identified such buildings in the town and had also issued notices. Some owners have repaired their buildings, while some have vacated them, but there are also some who continue to occupy such dangerous buildings,” he said.
Kandolkar said that all required measures and precautions should be taken to ensure the safety of occupants of such buildings.
In Feb, the MMC had said that its technical section had identified 20-odd unsafe buildings, and had issued notice to them. “The majority of these buildings are owned by private parties, while some belong to govt, including the public works department. These buildings have outlived their lifespan and now pose a threat to occupants and commuters who pass by,” it had said.
The MMC administration added that all required procedures were being followed, and necessary action would be taken by the municipality to ensure that these buildings are either repaired or demolished, considering the safety of its occupants and commuters.