Porvorim building collapses
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
PORVORIM, DEC 11
A portion of 27-year-old two-storey building in the Customs Colony at Porvorim collapsed on Saturday at about 6 am.
Luckily, no casualties were reported, as no families were residing in this portion of the building. Three families of Prakash Rao, Miralal and S Y Dodami residing in other portion of the building vacated their flats immediately after the incident. The three families were later shifted to vacant flats in another building.
The Mapusa Fire Station officials rushed to the spot at about 8.15 am and removed household goods of the three families residing in the building. Panch members Visranti Dessai and Badekhan visited the Customs Colony and assisted the fire brigade officials.
Speaking to Herald, residents of the building said these buildings are load-bearing structures and several cracks have developed on outer walls of the building.
“Plaster of the roof and walls has peeled off at many places and during monsoon, water used to seep in the flats. The doors and window panes of the flats are broken, mangled electricity wires are hanging, posing threat to the lives of the people and hence the building was not safe for residential purpose,” informed the residents.
The residents further informed that they had made several complaints to the officials of Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which is located in the Customs Colony, but no action was taken to repair the building.
“No maintenance of the building in the Customs Colony was carried out for the last two years. We are paying house rents and yet the CPWD is not attending to our grievances,” claimed the residents.
“Luckily, one family which was residing in the collapsed portion of the building had shifted in the adjacent building barely a month ago, otherwise major casualty would have taken place,” added the residents.
“If no repairs are carried out by CPWD immediately, other buildings in the Customs Colony would meet the same fate,” opined the residents.
J P Hiraker, engineer of Central Public Works Department, stated that there are 122 flats in the Customs Colony and they were built by them in 1984.
“My office had prepared repair estimates of all the buildings two years ago and had forwarded it to the Commissioner of Customs for his approval. Thereafter, several reminders were sent to the Customs officials, but in vain. We could not attend the repairs of the building mainly due to lack of funds,” stated Hiraker.
