Margao Municipal councillor Nimisha Faleiro points to the place where the 18-year-old boy was struck by debris after the house collapse.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
A house collapse on early Wednesday claimed the life of an 18-year-old boy, Kartik Chauhan, a native of Uttar Pradesh, at Talsan Zor, Fatorda.
His father escaped with minor injuries in the incident, which has brought to the fore the mushrooming of structures leased out to tenants on rent. The father-son duo was asleep inside the rented room when the wall collapsed. The deceased sustained grievous injuries after the debris of the wall struck his face and head. His father who was facing the other side escaped with injuries.
Margao Municipal Ward Councillor Nimisha Faleiro, who rushed to the spot, said the duo was rushed to the South Goa district hospital. The councillor pointed out that several mud houses exist on the comunidade land at Talsan Zor. “There’s not even a proper way to go to these houses. There is also a danger that the houses may collapse on one another and cause destruction of life and property,” she said.
Post the tragedy questions are being asked whether the Margao Municipal Council had given its nod for the construction of the room in question and whether similar rooms existing at Talsan Zor are stable structurally and whether they have been erected with permission from the local municipal body.
“This is not a safe area at all,” maintained an official, hoping the incident is a wake-up call for the civic authorities to act against illegally built structures leased out to tenants.
Act before major tragedy strikes, warns comunidade attorney
As the house collapse claimed the life of an 18-year-old at Talsan Zor on Wednesday, the incident has brought the hillock owned by the Margao Comunidade into sharp focus with the area playing host to around 150 structures.
Margao Comunidade Attorney Celestin Norohnh has said that most of the houses atop Talsan Zor are all illegal and demolition notices served on the structures by the Comuniade have been challenged and are pending in the High Court.
Saying that the structures have been haphazardly built on the hillock to give rooms on rent, Celestin said the authorities will be solely responsible for any major tragedy that strikes the area in the future. “The tragic death of the 18-year-old boy is a wake-up call for the authorities, including the Margao Municipal Council to act on the complaints filed by the Margao Comunidade,” Celestin told the media.
He added: “The structure to the house that collapsed on Wednesday is illegal, but the Margao Municipal Chief Officer is dragging the proceedings for reasons best known to him. When the Comunidade has initiated action against the illegal structures, the onus lies on the authorities, including the Margao Municipal Council to shoulder the responsibility for non-action against the illegal structures.”
“People have built the structures and given them on rent. The MMC should take cognisance of today’s incident and initiate action,” he said while blaming the politicians for giving patronage to the illegal structures.
