Demolition of building underway at Kolkata’s Bowbazar after several houses develop cracks due to Metro work

Demolition of one of the affected buildings that developed cracks during tunneling work of the East West Metro corridor at Bowbazar is underway, a senior official said on Tuesday.

''Demolition work of building number 16/1 at Durga Pithuri Lane, which was undertaken on Monday, is going on,'' Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation (KMRC) General Manager (Administration) A K Nandy said.

Two other houses adjacent to it will also have to be razed owing to the damages suffered, local Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councillor Biswarup De said.

''It has almost been decided that two more buildings, number 15 and 16, will have to be demolished, too,'' he said.

De, however, said consent from the owner of building number 16 is awaited.

A team of experts from Jadavpur University Tuesday visited the affected buildings, which are several decades old, to ascertain the extent of damages suffered.

''They will visit the place on Wednesday again,'' De said.

At least nine houses developed cracks on May 11 when water seeped in during underground tunneling work for the East West Metro line at Bowbazar, nearly three years after a similar incident occurred there.

Around 140 residents of these buildings have been shifted to hotels by KMRC authorities.

Out of the 16.6-km-long Metro line, the underground corridor constitutes 10.8 km, with the tunnel passing below the Hooghly river.

The East West metro corridor connecting Howrah Maidan and Sector V in Salt Lake is partially operational between Sector V station and Phoolbagan.

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