Dilapidated buildings

Dilapidated buildings, however, are a common sight in the city, particularly in the old part of it. There have been deaths in building collapse quite a few times, but the response to such tragedies has not yet been adequate. Hundreds of thousands of people are still living in buildings that are far from safe, and some of them are extremely unsafe. In most cases, people are turning a blind eye to the hazards associated with residing in such death traps. They do not have many options; they cannot abandon their homes as there is no rehabilitation plan in place. Reports say that many buildings have been marked as being too risky to live in . But identifying the buildings is not enough, though we must not forget that many creaking structures have not even been identified. This is not an issue that can be handled efficiently only through issuing notices. The authorities concerned have to ensure strict compliance with their orders and their demolition plan has to be implemented quickly. They must not be oblivious of the fact that building collapse would always take a heavy toll of human lives as we witnessed in the past.

It is the basic right of citizens, all humans to be precise, to live in safe places. The buildings in Mirpur are but the tip of an iceberg. There are many such structures which need to be demolished immediately to avoid fatal mishaps.

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