A customer and her baby at the Rupsa Market in Khulna barely avoided fatal injuries when plasters from the ceiling came off in one of the shops and almost fell on them.
The traders of the market are infuriated by this incident. Built in 2000, all 50 of the shops in the market are in such a derelict state.
Many people are living in the 48 listed risky and abandoned buildings of the Khulna metropolis risking their lives everyday. In the aftershocks of the Nepal earthquakes recently, cracks appeared in several old and new buildings in the city; many buildings have leaned over dangerously. On Saturday last, a schoolgirl was killed when the ceiling of such a derelict building caved in.
After fear spread of further such accidents, a decision was made to seal the derelict and abandoned buildings without delay to alleviate the anxiety. The people who are living in such buildings would be given notices soon to move out.
The decision came from a meeting of the District Law and Order Committee held on Sunday at the district administrator conference hall, presided over by District Magistrate Md Mostofa Kamal.
Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Rupsa Market Shop Owners’ Association General Secretary Md Jahan Ali said: “After its construction in 2000, the market was repaired only once. The city corporation were notified several times for further repairs but there were no response. All 50 shops of the market are in ruinous condition, with plasters coming off the ceilings and water seeping in. A major accident can take place anytime.”
On June 10, 2004, with an aim to demolish the buildings that had become uninhabitable, a list of 59 buildings were made and the owners were instructed to demolish or repair the buildings within 21 days.
After those instructions were rendered ineffective, in 2008 KCC did performed another survey and came up with a list of 44 risky buildings this time. Alongside Khulna Development Authority (KDA) also prepared a list identifying 107 buildings: 50 from the metropolitan area and 57 outside the metropolitan area.
Afterwards, on June 14, 2010, a meeting was held regarding the risky buildings at the Nagar Bhaban of KCC. A committee was formed to prepare a report on the risky and derelict buildings.
The committee members visited the metropolitan areas several times and identified 48 risky buildings and of those suggested that 26 completely risky buildings should be demolished, extended parts of 5 buildings, and everything above the ground floors of 17 buildings be demolished.
Based on that proposal, at the 20th general meeting of KCC on August 29, 2010, all the concerned building owners were sent notices to demolish those. Of the 48 buildings, 13 belong to District Administration and 16 to Housing and Public Works department. The rest are owned privately.
So far, only one building was demolished by district administration located at Clay Road of the city.