MARGAO: Following weeks of delays and mounting public safety concerns, authorities have finally initiated the long-awaited structural evaluation of 22 unsafe buildings in Margao. Acting on direct orders from South Goa collector Egna Cleetus, a team from Goa College of Engineering (GEC) conducted inspections of four buildings earlier this week.

The move comes nearly a month after Cleetus issued stern directives demanding immediate action following instances of building collapses in Margao. The collector specifically ordered the public works department (PWD) to obtain structural stability reports from GEC within a week after MMC cited financial constraints as barriers to conducting these crucial assessments.

Dipak Faldessai, MMC’s municipal engineer, confirmed the development. “We have shown the GEC team the locations of all the buildings. Once they do the tests to determine the structural stability of the structures, they will submit their report to the collector.” The GEC’s evaluation will cover all 22 unsafe buildings currently catalogued by MMC. The final report is expected to guide the collector’s decision on the fate of these structures. The structural evaluation reports from GEC will help determine which buildings require immediate demolition and which can be salvaged through repairs.

The GEC study assumes significance given the recent spate of building collapses in Margao. Three separate incidents occurred within a month, including parapet collapses at Antao Apartments near Cine Lata and another behind Pimplaped, followed by a gallery collapse of a crumbling building in the Cine Lata area. These incidents prompted immediate demolition orders by the collector for four dilapidated structures, including Indira Apartments and Cabecca de Calconde building.

However, the evaluation process was marred by administrative delays. Moreover, despite the collector’s May 27 directive to update the unsafe buildings list within a week, MMC failed to comply with the requirement. Sources within MMC revealed that their current list of 22 unsafe buildings was compiled several years ago and hasn’t been updated, despite issuing notices to 56 building owners for structural repairs over the last few years.