60 risky buildings in port city
Dilapidated Paharika Girls High School Bhaban identified by the Chittagong Development Authority as one of the risky buildings in the port city where students attend classes risking their lives. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das
Over 3,500 people have been living in around 60 dilapidated buildings and faulty structures in the port city which have been officially tagged as risky. The buildings are being used as residence, educational and commercial establishments amid fear of earthquake in the port city. Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) sent a list of the 60 risky buildings to Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) back in December 2007 recommending measures for immediate demolition or conservation of the buildings after remodeling or re-construction. But, most of these buildings are still in use risking lives of over 3,500 people. Of them, a two-storey building of over 80 years at Nandan Kanan Buddhist Temple Road is being used till date to run Paharika Girls High School risking lives of some 5,00 students. “We pass our time in a great anxiety and tension when our children are in the school as the building with plasters coming off the roof is feared to collapse during any earthquake,” said Gita Rani Dey of Enayet Bazar who has two children in this school. “Seat crisis in better schools forces us to send our children here,” said Sunity Bishwas, also a guardian. Audiences are there to enjoy movie at City Hall running as Cinema Palace being quite ignorant of the danger posed by the around-90-year old building of Loyal Road near Laldighi Maidan. “We hardly notice the condition of the Cinema hall (building) while enjoying the movie. We come here as ticket price is cheaper,” said rickshaw-puller Asad while coming out of the hall after enjoying a show on Sunday afternoon. “If it's so old then the authorities concerned should do something about it,” said Asad when his attention was drawn to dilapidated condition of the hall having arrangement for around 150 audience. Fear of collapse at any time forced all the 12 teachers' families to leave a dilapidated residential building of Chittagong Polytechnic Institute and live elsewhere. Around 70-year-old administrative building and two workshops of the institute may collapse during earthquake, claiming lives of students and teachers. “The building is now abandoned and the teachers are living elsewhere until a new building is constructed,” said Principal Kazi Shawkatul Islam. “We are expecting an allocation of Tk 2 crore by October for construction of a multistoried building to replace the two workshops and house some office rooms,” said Shawkatul while talking to The Daily Star on Monday. Two huge commercial-cum-residential buildings of Deawanhat and Barik Building intersections are also standing there untouched till date to bring about massive casualty of life and property in collapse during any earthquake. Businessmen and residents of the buildings said they are not vacating the buildings since it would be tough to get an office or residence in such a place in the city centre. Besides, some buildings like CCC-owned two buildings at Sweeper Colony were not listed though lying in a most dilapidated condition. Around 400 people of 42 sweeper families, mostly joint ones, live in the two buildings risking lives. “We cannot sleep peacefully at night since the building can collapse during earthquake,” said Rana Mali, a resident of one of the buildings. “The buildings are in such a miserable state that any heavy vehicles like trucks passing by the nearby road also shake them,” said Bindu Das, a sweeper living in the other building. Sources in CCC said they are constructing a multi-storied building near the dilapidated ones to shift the sweepers there while residents of the two buildings expressed doubt if the new one would be able to accommodate the 42 families. When contacted CCC Chief Town Planner Architect Rezaul Karim said progress is little in taking measures against risky buildings since changes in mayoral as well as other posts of city corporation in last two years. Moreover, there are some legal suits over possession of around 22 of the enlisted buildings while division among governing body members hampered demolition or reconstruction of Paharika Girls High School. Besides, CDA in a survey found 600 buildings constructed in deviation of approved plan, posing risk of collapse and causing loss of life and property. In this regard CDA Chairman Abdus Salam said they are preparing to start drive against the buildings constructed in gross violation of the Building Construction (BC) rules.
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