Shimla: Tourist Information Centre building develops cracks, declared unsafe

Sameer Singh

Shimla, September 13

The Shimla Municipal Corporation has declared the Tourism Information Centre (TIC) building near the Ridge and six houses unsafe following checks conducted after the recent rain disaster in the city.

Trees were uprooted, roads caved in and land subsidence was reported from different parts of the city following heavy rains last month. More than 50 buildings, including government offices and houses, were declared unsafe. After the torrential rain wreaked havoc in the city, the administration, as a precautionary measure, got these buildings vacated.

A portion of the Tourist Information Centre building near the Ridge has developed cracks following which it was declared unsafe along with six houses recently. The upper storey of the building has already been declared unsafe. The TIC building is a heritage structure and is under the Shimla MC.

Bhupender Attri, Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner, said, “The Tourist Information Centre building is a heritage structure under Shimla MC. It’s an old building. As it has developed cracks we have declared it unsafe. Now, we are seeking expert opinion whether the heritage building can be saved by carrying out repair or we can rebuild it after dismantling it completely.”

The MC Commissioner said, “A majority of the buildings were declared unsafe in the city as a precautionary measure in the wake of rain disaster. In some instances, the buildings were safe from structural stability point of view but since landslides and large scale uprooting of trees took place we had to get them vacated. In some cases, repair work was required as buildings had developed cracks.”

As many as 12 buildings, which earlier were declared unsafe, has been given clearance after audit. But there are some buildings in the city which are still unsafe.

“For example, the building of Directorate, Urban Development, has been declared unsafe due to a landslide uphill but now that the rain-related disaster is over, the building is safe now,” said Attri.

Former Mayor Sanjay Chauhan said, “Tourist information Centre building was declared unsafe long ago and it is heritage structure so it must be rebuilt immediately by considering its heritage aesthetics.”

A heritage property

The Tourist Information Centre building is a heritage structure under Shimla MC. It’s an old building. As it has developed cracks we have declared it unsafe. Now, we are seeking expert opinion whether the heritage building can be saved by carrying out repair or we can rebuild it after dismantling it completely. — Bhupender Attri, MC Commissioner