Haphazard building puts lives of passers-by at risk

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 14

A commercial building being haphazardly constructed in zone C of the city is posing a danger to the passers-by as the owner has got two storeys constructed but the lintels of the ground and the first floor are yet to be removed.

The commercial building is coming up in zone C and the construction work is in full swing. One on the other lintels are being put up without removing and waiting for these to be properly strengthened but no one from the law-enforcing agencies has checked this till date.

Rahul Sood, a resident, said he was passing through the stretch when the particular building grabbed his attention. “To my shock, I saw that two more floors have been constructed while the lintel of not even a single floor has been removed. How can this be possible? Tomorrow, while removing these lintels, if some mishap takes place, who will be held responsible? It is sheer negligence on the part of the authorities,” he said.

One of the inspectors of a building branch here, wishing not to be named, said it was criminal negligence. “Tonnes of iron, bricks and cement have been put in these storeys. God forbid, if, while removing these lintels, some mishap takes place, it can prove fatal. In the past 15 days, these three storeys have been constructed by the owner but the building branch in zone C seems to have shut its eyes. Immediate action needs to be taken against the building. Someone should come forward and file a complaint,” he said.

Vikas of Vision Homes company said there was no harm in putting lintels one after the other but before putting the next lintel, the shuttering of the first one needed to be properly removed. “If the lintels have been put one after the other, it would be advisable to start removing the lintel from the top floor. Enough time should be given for strengthening the building in a proper manner,” he added.