Following the fatal Bowring Hospital wall collapse, the GBA has launched an urgent citywide safety drive to demolish dilapidated structures and clear hazardous storm-damaged trees.
BENGALURU
Following the tragic collapse of a compound wall at Bowring Hospital that claimed seven lives earlier this week, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has launched a massive safety drive. Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao ordered the immediate removal of all dilapidated walls and buildings across the city that pose a threat to public safety.
The crackdown began with demolition crews targeting several high-risk structures. On Binnymill Road, officials pulled down a massive 25-foot-high wall after a large section of it crumbled during recent storms. In Malleswaram, another 240-meter stretch of unsafe wall at the Mysore Lamps premises was razed to prevent a potential disaster.
The urgency comes after Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar directed the GBA to secure the city against worsening weather. Heavy rains on April 29 and May 1 have already wreaked havoc, uprooting 444 trees and snapping over 1,000 branches across various neighborhoods.
Maheshwar Rao has now instructed the commissioners of all five city corporations to form special task forces. these teams, including fire and police personnel, will patrol the streets to identify hazardous trees and weak structures before the next downpour. “Our priority is to ensure that no more lives are lost to preventable accidents,” Rao stated. With more heavy rain predicted in the coming days, the GBA is racing against time to clear hundreds of dangerous sites to protect residents from further untoward incidents.
