The Times of India             21.06.2013

PMC to draft rules for retaining, compound walls

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will draft guidelines for the construction of retaining and compound walls to avoid accidents like the one at Dattawadi on June 16, Mahesh Pathak, Pune municipal commissioner, said on Thursday.

Three women were killed when the retaining wall of a newly-built housing society came crashing down near Dattawadi on Sinhagad Road on Sunday night after heavy rain. Police said the wall had weakened due to continuous rain that had lashed the city over the weekend.

Responding to questions about the civic body's plan of action to prevent such accidents, Pathak, at the general body meeting, said guidelines would be drafted to ensure better construction of retaining and compound walls.

"We have discussed the issue with structural engineers and suitable guidelines will be drafted. A circular regarding the same will be issued soon," he said.

Replying on what the civic body has done to avoid instances of building collapse, Meanwhile, Vivek Kharawadkar, head of the building permission department, said PMC has given notices to dilapidated buildings and facilitated the eviction of residents from such dwellings.

Elected members demanded action against PMC officials who failed to check the quality of construction of the building at Dattawadi.

The Dattawadi police on Monday booked the builder, contractor and the site engineer of the building and charged them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.