An expert panel, constituted to study the structural stability of 120-year-old Lansdowne Building, was on Wednesday shocked to see the condition of the building and its pathetic maintenance. Sources said the committee is likely to recommend partial demolition of southern wing of the building.
Some of the rooms on the first floor were a picture of ‘monumental neglect’. The toilet block in the central wing, which is not in use, was stinking with huge leaps of garbage soaked in rain water.
Committee head C.S. Vishwanath, chairman of the Karnataka Quality Assurance Task Force, was stunned at the condition of the toilet and took photographs to be presented along with the report. Many rooms have not even been opened for years and were found leaking. Mr. Syed Shakib-ur-Rehman, a panel member, told Deccan Chronicle: “We surveyed the southern and central wings of the building on Wednesday. The situation is very bad and the structure needs a major surgery. The central wing, which was reinforced in 1998-99, has some life left. But the southern and northern wings are in a dangerous condition. In particular, the common passage on the first floor in the southern wing is almost dead. We are yet to come to a conclusion, but may have to take some tough decisions.”
Rain water passages of the building are completely blocked, leading to stagnation on the roof, which has weakened the whole building. Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar visited the site, where four people died after a portion of the building collapsed on Saturday. MP Vishwanath told the chief minister that restoration of the building should be taken up on a war footing. “We can’t waste even a minute. The restoration should be taken up immediately. Once, the report is submitted, the cabinet should give its approval to implement the recommendations without keeping it pending,” he said.
Members of the Lansdowne Tenants’ Association also appealed to Mr. Shettar to carry out the restoration at the earliest. But Mr. Shettar rejected the tenants’ plea to allow them to continue their businesses in the central and northern wings. “I can’t given permission until the expert panel gives a fitness certificate and submits its report,” he told them.