Borewell digging causes damage to building

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, OCT. 14. Residents of a four-storeyed building in the Chickpet area fled from their houses to safety after the building developed cracks and started to lean towards its side on Sunday.

Sinking of a borewell abutting the building on the adjacent vacant site belonging to Mr. Pawan Kumar is said to be the reason for the damage to the building.

The building constructed 20 years ago on a site measuring 20 feet by 22 feet in Andanappa Galli in Chickpet, belonged to Mr. Pillanna. It was occupied by his and his brother's families consisting of 12 members.

According to eye-witnesses, Mr. Kumar had arranged for sinking of the borewell and the work started in the morning. After two or three hours, the bore suddenly went down after touching loose soil, with slush gushing out. Immediately, gates of Mr. Pillanna's building got arched and the building started to lean on its one side after developing cracks.

According to Mr. Raju, one of the neighbours of Mr. Pillanna, the inmates of the building were heard screaming, and immediately the neighbours got them evacuated, and called up the police and fire force personnel. Mr. Pillanna was under shock and was unable to speak.

The police who cordoned off the area, evacuated the inmates of surrounding buildings also, to avoid any casualty in the event of the building collapsing on its own. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Mr. Gopal B.Hosur, was on the spot monitoring the evacuation operations. Power supply to the area was disconnected.

The Commissioner of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), Mr. Ashok Dalwai, visited the spot and took stock of the situation. Later, Mr. Dalwai told The Hindu that the BMP had passed an order to dismantle the damaged building as it was unsafe for its occupants to reside in as well as the surrounding buildings. The reason for the damage was the sinking of the borewell, he said and added that the sanctioned plan for the building on the adjacent site did not contain any provision for installing a borewell.

While action would be taken against the owner of the adjacent site for deviating from the sanctioned plan, he would also be made to bear the cost of dismantling the damaged building, Mr. Dalwai said. The BMP would bear the cost at present, which would later be recovered from Mr. Pawan Kumar, he added.

The Palike's Engineering Department was making preparations for dismantling the building. Mr. Dalwai said the operation would take some time.

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