Dist control room receives 474 quake-hit house complaints
2 min readPATNA: The April 25 earthquake, followed by several tremors, induced the government as well as people to take proper safety measures. Soon after the calamity, Patna district magistrate Abhay Kumar Singh had instructed the district control room to register complaints by people to check their homes and submit reports whether they are safe or need repair.
Till date, the district control room has received 474 complaints from Patna district of which report for 353 have been submitted. A team comprising four engineers from Bihar Building Construction Corporation Limited go to the respective building and inspect it.
There are five categories — G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5 — in which the buildings have been divided depending on their vulnerability. Buildings falling under the category G1 are those which have developed minor cracks in the plaster. Those with more cracks in wall, RCC slab and asbestos fall in G2 category. G1 and G2 category buildings are considered “safe”. Buildings having deep cracks in the wall and pillars with some portions detached from the house come under G3.
“Buildings under G4 and G5 categories are highly vulnerable and in case of G5, the entire building needs to be demolished,” said city magistrate Surendra Prasad. Out of total buildings inspected, 16 were perfectly fine, 247 were under G1, 54 under G2 and 36 were in the process of re-check.
Prasad also said during the inspection, only G1 and G2 category buildings were found and the owners have been given instructions to repair them. “Luckily, we have not yet found any building which falls in dangerous category. But many people suspect there buildings would be demolished if found unfit, so they are not contacting us. They should avail this facility for their benefit. We don’t charge money for inspection. There is no deadline for checking and people should contact us soon,” Prasad said.
Anybody is free to register complaint on the control room number 0612-2219810. Even Patna Municipal Corporation is providing this facility and complaints can be registered through the mail to the commissioner on pmcprda@gmail.com.
PMC has received 38 complaints and 29 have been inspected. Two buildings have been put in the category of G4. “Most of the houses we inspected were in the category of G1 and G2, one was G3, but two are in G4 and need immediate repair,” said PMC chief engineer Khagesh Chandra Vishwas.
The sources said false complaints are also registered by some people against their respective neighbours to harass them.
Courtesy: TNN
