Inquiry ordered into shed roof collapse in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, June 11 (UNI) The Chandigarh administration has constituted a two-member committee headed by the deputy commissioner-cum-district magistrate R K Rao to inquire into yesterday's incident of collapse of a concrete shed in the fruit and vegeatble market here.

The committee has been asked to submit its report as early as possible, not not later than one month. Superintending Engineer (B&R) Krishanjit Singh would be its other member.

The committee will go into the reasons of the shed caving in which led to the death of two persons. The committee will also suggest corrective and precautionary measures to be adopted in respect of other buildings and sheds in the fruit and vegetable market complex.

Meanwhile the Chandigarh administration has asked all the heads of departments, corporations, societies, institutions and boards to get their buildings structurally checked from the engineering department of the Union Territory. The UT home secretary Krishna Mohan visited the fruit and vegetable market site this morning.

Mr Mohan said that in view of the paramount importance of the public safety all the market associations, residents and other welfare associations and organisations and general public should get their building structurally checked from the registered structural engineers.

The administration would also carry out a survey of city buildings to check whether they have any structural problems, he said.

The administration would be carrying out survey of all buildings shortly to assess if there were any strucutral deficiencies. This process will be taken up as a campaign throughout the city, Mr Mohan said.

He said if any structure is found unsafe it will be got vacated to avoid tragedies like the one that occured yesterday. All buildings in the fruit and vegetable market area would be inspected and remedial corrective measures undertaken, he further added. A central forensic sciences laboratory team would also inspect the site, he said.

Mr Mohan said that both short term and long term measures would be taken so that auction of fruits and vegetables continues uninterrupted not only in the interest of the traders but also the citizens of the city.

The entire structure that caved in yesterday was pulled down to the ground by the Chandigarh administration this morning.

UNI