Kolkata construction work halted after deadly taratala mishap:State orders safety audits of projects approved under previous government

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced a temporary suspension of all construction activities within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area until July 31, following the collapse of an under-construction warehouse in Taratala that claimed three lives and left 18 injured. Speaking after visiting the accident site and later addressing a press conference at Nabanna, the Chief Minister said 12 to 15 people were still believed to be trapped under the debris. Government halts construction till july Government halts construction till julyAdhikari stated that all buildings and high-rise projects whose plans were approved during the previous Trinamool Congress government would remain shut until July 31. A multi-agency team comprising officials from the Public Works Department, Civil Defence, Fire Services, Kolkata Police and Kolkata Municipal Corporation will inspect the projects and verify whether construction norms are being followed. Multi-agency audit team formed Only projects that pass the audit and comply with all safety regulations will be allowed to resume work from August 1, he said. However, essential service-related projects will be exempt from the restrictions. Projects must clear inspections first The Chief Minister further said that special attention would be given to commercial projects and constructions undertaken on reclaimed water bodies. Similar audits and inspections will later be extended to the Howrah and Bidhannagar municipal areas. Similar checks planned elsewhere soon According to Adhikari, the warehouse structure that collapsed in Taratala had received approval from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation on January 17. The land belonged to the Kolkata Port Trust and had been leased to a company identified as Behra Brothers, headed by Shambhunath Behra. Defective design under scanner now He added that preliminary findings by KMC engineers suggested the warehouse had a defective structural design. The government will announce details regarding legal action and compensation for the victims’ families in the Assembly on Monday at 11 am. ​