Metro underground tunnel work is going on in Kanpur, due to which excavation is going on. But meanwhile, a four-storey house built near a site caved in. Late at night this house completely collapsed. Not only this, cracks also appeared in dozens of nearby houses. After which the houses were evacuated. Now the situation is such that people are forced to live on the streets. People have expressed their pain.
However, Metro officials have announced help for the affected people. Under which people will be given expenses at the rate of ₹ 400 per day. Also, whatever houses will be demolished around the site, they will be rebuilt by the Metro at its own expense. Apart from this, arrangements are being made to stay in hotels for those who do not want to shift. Officials say that the construction work at the place where the accident took place has been completed in just two and a half months.
The whole matter is of Harbansh Mohal police station area, where Metro started the work of building underground tunnel only a few months ago. The underground line of the metro is running about 50 feet below the houses located here. People of the area have alleged that due to the metro work the land in their locality has started sinking.
What did the local people say?
People say that since 3 months ago they have been writing letters to the Metro and the local administration informing them that there are cracks in the walls here but no one has come to take a look. At the same time, the regional councilor and the landlord told that the building which was demolished had earlier cracked. But the metro guys just added spice to it. He took it lightly. The situation is such that now cracks are increasing in adjacent houses also. People are forced to live on the streets. There is no way left to reach there. At present, Metro officials are talking about arranging hotels and giving money to the affected people, but this does not seem to be happening on the ground. People are having to work hard.
Suddenly homeless, no one is helping
At the same time, when the team of ‘Aaj Tak’ reached ground zero, they saw that many elderly people and women were sitting on the road with their household items.
During the conversation, people told that they do not understand where to go, they have no place to stay, they have been living here for years, now they have suddenly become homeless. The administration is also not helping.
Meanwhile, as soon as the information was received, SP MLA Amitabh Bajpai reached the spot and reprimanded the officials. Giving an ultimatum to the officials, the SP MLA said that the situation is such that at least 20 more houses will collapse due to the rains. If even one life is lost, I will file a case against the officials.
metro statement
On the other hand, PRO Panchanan Mishra of UP Metro says that at present the affected people will be given expenses at the rate of ₹ 400 per day, and whatever houses will be demolished will be rebuilt by the Metro at its own expense. Arrangements are being made to stay in hotels for those who do not want to shift.
It is being told that many houses in Harvansh Mohal were built in the 60s. The condition of these houses was already very dilapidated and there was a huge lack of repair. Most of the tenants live in this type of house, the survey found. Information like well or borewell inside the house was not given even after asking for it by Metro.
After investigation into the recent incident, nearby senior citizens told that earlier there used to be a well here. Investigation has also found a pit-like structure inside the said house, due to which the floor settled down and a pit of about 5 feet was formed. The metro work in this area had ended two and a half months ago, yet when problems arose, the metro, as a humanitarian act, started the repair work here.
Later during the repair work, it was found that the sewage and water from the adjacent houses, along with the road drain and rain water, had been entering the pit-like structure of this house for a long time. Due to which the condition of the building became more dilapidated.