The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) on June 28 sealed the Lal Singh Mansion at AT Road which was built in 1957. The officials marked the building as ‘unsafe’.

The building is used for both residential and commercial purposes. Out of the total 32 families residing in the building, 31 families have already moved out owing to the bad condition. The building is situated on the busy market area on AT Road, with adjacent footpath and neighbourhood buildings. It has very little commercial occupancy at present.

After finalizing required logistics, the building will be demolished by the GMC.

A committee which was constituted by the then commissioner of the GMC in 2014 to examine the structural safety of the building, opined that it was beyond repair and as it is located in a densely populated commercial area of Guwahati it is posing threat to the human life.

Following that, GMC commissioner Monalisa Goswami on June 21 this year had ordered to seal the building.

It also said that as the electrical wiring are in a very bad shape the building also poses threat of fire hazard.

“As such, the committee is of the view that the building should be immediately barred from using and the users or owners should be advised to demolish the building and if not so done, the GMC shall proceed with further action to safe guard human life and property,” the committee had said.

The then GMC commissioner in the order had said, “It can be said that the building is not safe for human habitation and is in dilapidated condition that is contrary to the interest of public, pedestrians, neighbours, as well as to the present occupiers of the building. Hence, the building deserves to be sealed with immediate effect for public safety and as a preventive measure”.

As per report of IIT, Guwahati, the Lal Singh Mansion located at AT Road, Tokobari, Guwahati, the building was constructed in 1957, but at present there is no structural drawing available.

In the report, it is stated that structural distress could be seen at a number of locations, cracks in structural and non-structural parts mainly, plaster deterioration, with age at few locations and weeds growing could be seen from outside the building.

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