Guntur: Old damaged buildings are posing a threat to the public in Guntur district. A four-storied building at Vinukonda suddenly collapsed due to weak foundation and fortunately 20 people escaped unhurt in the mishap.
The people are alleging that the municipal and revenue officials are showing negligence to raze old and outdated buildings which are ready to collapse at anytime. There are 30 old buildings in the Guntur city, including structures of the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) and sadly there is no action against the builders from the GMC.
The four-storied building was constructed on an old building at Vinukonda without pillars and was supported with clay walls. The locals objected to the four-storied building during construction time but in vain. Later also, people expressed their fears and demanded the municipal officials but of no use and finally the building collapsed. Similar incidents of old building collapse occurred in other areas in the recent past.
In all, 30 old buildings are ready to collapse at anytime in old Guntur, Patnam Bazar Lalapeta and Gunturvari Thota. Sadly, the P.V.K. Naidu market and vegetable market situated beside the GMC office on the Guntur-Amaravati Road is also totally damaged and ready to collapse anytime. The people are alleging that the GMC is showing reluctance to raze the market buildings to benefit the shop owners of the ground floor. The slab of the first floor of the buildings is totally ruined and several times, the slab fell in various shops. Hence, all the shop-keepers vacated their shops out of fear of collapse.
Further, the GMC officials, after thorough inspections, decided to demolish the buildings and issued notices to the shop owners, but some of them went to the court. Later, the court issued orders in favour of the GMC. The people fear to visit the market and allege that the GMC is showing negligence to demolish the market to benefit the shop owners. J. Prasad, N. Lakshmi and others said that the market is over 55 years old. Hence, the construction is totally damaged and people fear to enter it. They demanded the demolition of the market in view of public safety.
The traders said that they are ready to vacate shops if the GMC shows alternative shops and added that they are also living in fear in their shops. The GMC town planning officials said that the process for Naidu market demolition started and the buil-ding would be demolished soon. They assu-red about demolish of rest of private old buildings as early as possible.
