MARGAO: The proprietors of the old dilapidated building Casa Menezes, a run-down structure that was located near Gandhi Market in Margao, have successfully completed the demolition of the ground-plus-one structure.
As a result of which, this weathered structure that was nearly 70 years old, is the first of the approximately 20 ‘unsafe’ buildings situated within the jurisdiction of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) that have been identified for demolition once the technical processes involved are completed.
It may be recalled that in July 2021, a section of the deteriorating building’s rear portion had collapsed.
Following this incident, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) issued an order invoking the provisions of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968. The directive required the building’s owner to vacate the entire premises, furnish a structural stability certificate and to repair or secure the structure.
However, thereafter, in June 2023, the MMC, relying on an inspection and assessments performed by a team of experts from the Goa Engineering College (GEC) in Farmagudi, issued an order to the owners of the building ordering its immediate demolition.
Notably, the GEC’s experts attributed the building’s collapse primarily to “unanticipated loads” and a “cyclic loading sequence” it had endured over time.
The GEC team consisted of K K Gupta, the head of the civil engineering department, and professors P P Sawaikar and Ganesh Hegde.
The report also revealed that the installation of a 3,000-litre water storage tank on the roof induced a cyclic load, which triggered the structural failure. This additional load was not factored into the original design calculations.
Additionally, severe carbonation led to the concrete’s “brittle failure.”
Consequently, the report recommended the building’s demolition, as it was deemed likely to “collapse without warning.”
