In Kolkata's 'red' illegal building zone, bulldozers used for demolition have spooked residents, who are taking refuge in their relatives' houses. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has deployed bulldozers and workers to pull down two unauthorised structures, including a mixed residential building where a fire on Tuesday killed two workers and injured three others, who are undergoing treatment at a government hospital.
Government Response and Demolition Drive
Following the incident, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the government's zero tolerance for illegal constructions. The razing of the building where the fire-ravaged leather goods manufacturing unit operated illegally began with a bulldozer on Wednesday. On Thursday, KMC started demolition of an adjacent residential G+3 building where five families reportedly lived. Police served notice to vacate it to the residents on Wednesday night.
Residents' Protest and Resistance
The move drew the ire of the residents, who tried to resist the demolition in the barricaded zone, but their attempt was thwarted by the police and central force deployed in the area. Throughout the day, a bulldozer was parked in front of the second building, and demolition work started in the afternoon. Residents shifted their belongings to neighbours' and relatives' houses throughout the night. Md Hasan Nadaf, a local, said, 'Even at 3 am, I found people moving out of their flats with belongings. They have been living in this area for a long time.'
Umar Farooq, a madrasa teacher, had to vacate his flat before the demolition. 'Why were we not given sufficient time to arrange for an alternative shelter? I am in a fix with my family as the building where I lived is being razed,' he said.
Protests Erupt Over Collective Punishment
Tension broke out when some locals, including residents of the buildings under the bulldozer's rage, staged a protest at the demolition zone, stating why they 'would have to pay the price for someone else's vice.' 'There is no factory in our building, and we moved to our flat as legal occupants. Our building has not come up recently. Now we are being told that the building is illegal. Why was no action taken earlier? Where shall we go to live now?' cried a woman. The protestors were whisked away from the demolition zone by the police and central force, who cordoned off GJ Khan Road at both ends.
Impact on Local Businesses
Local traders were asked to down the shutters of their shops in the area during the tension. Irshad Azad, who runs a medicine shop, said, 'There is no customer as the road has been shut for people's movement. I opened the shop in the morning since medicine is emergency. Later I closed the shop.'
Police Investigation and Arrests
Kolkata Police initiated a culpable homicide investigation against the factory owners and managers, accusing them of criminal negligence, stacking highly inflammable materials without safety permits, and 'abandoning their workers inside the premises.' According to the police, when the fire broke out on the G+1 level, the owners made no attempt to rescue their staff or extinguish the flames. Instead, they fled the scene. 'We discovered that an internal connecting door leading to an adjacent G+4 building had been locked from the outside, trapping the workers within the smoke-filled structure,' claimed an investigator. Two persons arrested in connection with the incident are being questioned to trace the other partners who are absconding.
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