Chennai: Nearly four and half months after the collapse of a 11-storied building in Mowlivakkam on June 28, in which 61 persons died and several injured, an adjacent building owner has approached the Madras high court to direct authorities to declassify his property from “danger zone” and permit him to carry on with his business from the premises.
Justice V. Ramasubramanian before whom the petition filed by Arun Enterprises through its partner C. Dhakshinamoorthy came up for hearing, adjourned it to December 8, after additional government pleader P. Sanjaigandhi took notice for Kancheepuram district collector and tahsildar.
According to petitioner, his property was situated adjacent to the infamous under construction 11 storied building of Prime Sristi Housing private limited, which collapsed on June 28, during heavy rains, culminating into loss of lives and injures besides damages to the adjacent properties and buildings.
The petitioner was one among such victims, wherein part of the said under construction building had collapsed on the petitioner’s property injuring two of its workmen while destroying machineries and stock of materials.
His property was used for rescue operations. The authorities have immediately declared the site of the building collapse as well as those in the neighbourhood and adjoining buildings including the petitioner’s property as danger zone to aid the rescue operation, he added.
He said since then, his property remains to be covered under danger zone for the past four and half months. He was not allowed to enter into the premises even to verify the stock by the police posted at the site.
He has already suffered a loss of Rs 1.90 crore towards damages to his machineries and stock of materials due to the building collapse. He could not comply with the business orders of his customers. He had taken a business loan of Rs 2.25 crore from a bank and incapacitated to pay the instalments since he was not allowed to carry on with his business from the premises.
If authorities apprehend that there exist danger they have not taken any initiative to remove such apprehending danger for the past four and half months and neighbouring properties owners like the petitioner cannot be made to wait eternally for the authorities to clear the area from danger zone, he added.
