The authorities have not taken any initiative yet to demolish the city’s 321 vulnerable buildings though 25 days have already passed. The public works and housing ministry has sought a month’s time to implement the government order, arguing that many of these buildings have been constructed with bank loans. On May 27, the government had directed Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and the two city corporations of Dhaka to demolish 321 buildings that were identified as vulnerable within a month.
Sources said the 321 buildings in the capital continue to entail risks due to the lack of coordination among three government entities: the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, and the Local Government Division.
They disclosed that huge amounts of money are lying outstanding with these earmarked vulnerable buildings. Most of the house-owners did not pay the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), electricity and gas bills and the city corporation’s taxes.
It would need a month to solve these problems, the sources added.
“We held a meeting with the secretary of the public works ministry regarding the issue. The ministry informed us that many of the house-owners have outstanding loans with banks. This issue has to be resolved before the buildings are demolished,” Md Shah Kamal, disaster management and relief secretary, told The Independent yesterday. Besides, there are godowns in many of these buildings, and these goods have to be shifted to other places, he said.
“Considering all aspects, the public works ministry has sought a month’s time to demolish the buildings,” Shah Kamal said in reply to a query.
The disaster management and relief ministry is the decision-making authority, but the implementing authority is the public works and housing ministry, he explained.
“It is not important as to who is responsible. It is important that we need to remove risky buildings from cities. An initiative will be taken immediately on behalf of the Local Government Division,” said Abdul Malek, senior secretary of the ministry.
“The capital development authorities had sent the list to the then Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) to take necessary action to demolish the structures,” said a source with RAJUK.
“We have not decided anything yet about those 321 risky buildings,” the source added.
According to the Dhaka City Corporation Act, the two city corporations have the authority to approve building plans within their jurisdictions and are also responsible for the vulnerable structures.
According to the Building Construction Act, 1952, the capital development authorities issue land use clearances and occupancy certificates and approve the building plans.
Earlier, disaster management and relief minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said the government has purchased tents worth Tk. 100 crore in advance for tackling any possible earthquake or other disaster in the country, in addition to procuring equipment worth Tk. 69 crore for disaster management.