PWD ordered to perform structural audit of government quarters in Labour Colony

Aurangabad, Jan 5:

The district collector Sunil Chavan, while enacting as the municipal commissioner of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), had ordered the Public Works Department (PWD) to perform a structural audit of the government quarters in Labour Colony through Government College of Engineering (GCE), on priority.

The colony comprised of 338 quarters and were constructed in 1953-54. As on today, the quarters are in dilapidated condition. Earlier, the district administration served notices to the occupants stating to vacate their possessions, but nothing had proceeded further. Now, the district collector, through the AMC, gave momentum to the pending proposal.

In his letter addressed to the PWD executive engineer, Sunil Chavan, stated that there is a provision to initiate action in connection with dilapidated condition buildings under Section 264 of Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Rules-1949. It is also mandatory to submit a structural stability certificate of the structures/buildings that are more than 30 years old under Section 265 (A). Hence the inspection of dilapidated buildings posing a danger should be held through a competent engineer for structural stability certificate and structural audit report.

The letter further underlines that the quarters are government properties. Hence it is the responsibility of PWD to maintain them and initiate legal action if the dilapidated buildings are posing danger. Due to old constructions, it may risk the lives of occupants staying in them and persons moving around in the colony. Such untoward incidents had taken place in Thane and Mahad. Hence immediate action in this regard (Labour Colony) is the need of the hour. If any untoward incident takes place, then you will be solely held responsible for it, warned the letter.