Kolkata official: Flouted rules, used low-quality materials in collapse

The builders of the collapsed multi-storey building in Kolkata's Garden Reach area had disregarded numerous rules set by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in the construction of the new building, resulting in the disaster. The official informed that they had also opted for inferior quality materials for construction and utilised 10mm rods instead of the recommended 16mm by the KMC. The collapse of the building resulted in the loss of nine lives and left 17 others injured. He further added that despite the sanction provided by the civic body for a two-storey structure on the 1.5 katha of land in ward no 134 of the KMC, the builders went ahead and constructed a five-storey building. The rules were blatantly disregarded. They had built 16 flats, each with a floor area of 500 square feet. They were eager to complete all the flats quickly, hence they were rushing with the construction work, he explained. Substandard materials were used to cut costs. Instead of using 16mm rods for casting, they used 10mm rods. Additionally, they had placed 5,000 bricks on top of the building, which the structure couldn't withstand, leading to its collapse, the official elaborated. Under the new guidelines set by the KMC, sub-assistant engineers will now conduct inspections of the flats. They will inspect various wards and identify any unauthorized constructions. Upon detecting any irregularities, immediate demolition of the illegal constructions will be carried out, he concluded.