On Monday, the Kolkata Metro started demolishing a portion of one of the houses in Durga Pituri lane, Bowbazar, after they developed cracks due to the tunneling work in the East-West Corridor. Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL) sources were quoted in an IE report saying that, initially, a portion of the house will be demolished. However, if more cracks are developed in the rest of the house or if there’s a danger to its structure, then Kolkata Metro will demolish the entire building. Kolkata Metro has only decided to demolish a portion of two houses – 16 and 16/1 Durga Pituri Lane – after cracks were developed on them.
According to the report, 14 houses in the area have developed cracks as well as fissures. The decision on the status of the rest of the houses will be taken in consultation with an expert Kolkata Municipality group’s opinion, according to the sources quoted in the report. On Monday, the area was visited by a team of experts from Jadavpur University who tested the condition of the soil to ascertain the structural viability of the houses in the location as well as the safety of the construction work of the metro.
Besides, another house in the area – 15, Durga Pituri Lane — has been declared dilapidated. Following the approval from Kolkata Municipality, it will be demolished as well, the sources quoted in the report said. Meanwhile, the demolition of a part of the second house – 16/1 Durga Pituri Lane — could not head forward as till now, the authorities have not received the building owner’s consent. According to the report, local MLA Nayna Bandopadhyay as well as councilor blamed the KMRCL authorities for creating “uncertainty” over the demolition of the house.
Last Thursday, leakage of water from inside the shaft, developed for retrieval of the 2 TBMs commissioned to dig Kolkata Metro’s twin East-West Metro tunnels, had resulted in cracks in the buildings.
