On the morning of Sunday, June 8, 2025, tranquility in the Bowbazar area of central Kolkata was shattered as a portion of a century-old, three-storey building collapsed with a thunderous crash. Located on Srinath Das Lane, this aged residential structure crumbled around 11:30 AM while undergoing unauthorized repair work. The building, reinforced only temporarily with iron rods and plywood, gave way while five workers were inside.
The aftermath was tragic. One of the workers, 37-year-old Ashutosh Adhikary from Jibantala in South 24 Parganas, lost his life due to fatal injuries sustained to his head and neck. Four others suffered minor injuries and were treated and released from Calcutta Medical College & Hospital. The collapse marked yet another catastrophe in a neighborhood already plagued by fragile architecture and institutional negligence.
The Building: Layers of Heritage and Disrepair
Bowbazar is one of Kolkata’s oldest and most culturally dense localities. Its architectural landscape consists of narrow lanes, old-style mansions, traditional Bengali homes, and structures that date back over a century. Many of these buildings sit atop land that was reclaimed from ancient ponds and channels. This underlying instability, combined with years of neglect and unauthorized modifications, has rendered the neighborhood vulnerable to structural disasters.
The building that collapsed was tenant-owned and had reportedly been declared dangerous by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in the past. Yet, according to local Councillor Suman Singh, repair work had recently begun without obtaining the required permissions from KMC. This failure to follow regulations prompted authorities to file an FIR under Sections 304A, 317, and 318 of the Indian Penal Code—charges related to causing death by negligence and unlawful concealment of a corpse.
The Bowbazar Building Collapse: Emergency Response and Rescue Operations
Rescue operations began within minutes of the incident. Teams from the Kolkata Fire Brigade, Kolkata Police, and the KMC’s Disaster Response Unit rushed to the site. Their immediate goal was to extract survivors and recover the deceased. Adhikary’s body was pulled from the debris after a painstaking search.
The building’s collapse posed a threat to adjacent structures. Authorities quickly cordoned off the area and began a structural safety assessment. A partial evacuation of neighboring buildings was undertaken, and unsafe sections were marked for demolition. KMC also set up temporary shelters for displaced families and issued public advisories, encouraging residents to report any buildings exhibiting signs of structural distress.
Structural Negligence and Urban Risks
Experts warn that this tragedy reflects a growing urban crisis in Kolkata. Unauthorized renovations, overloading of old buildings, deteriorating foundations, and lax regulatory oversight have created a perfect storm. Although the Bowbazar building had earlier been flagged as unsafe, enforcement remained toothless.
Local residents and business owners reported that this was not the first time such an incident had occurred. In recent years, several porticos and balconies have collapsed in the area. However, despite repeated warnings, no long-term measures have been taken to overhaul aging infrastructure or implement preventive strategies. Enforcement continues to be reactive, only springing into action after disaster strikes.
Geo-Structural Threats: Metro Tunneling Aggravates the Risk
The structural vulnerabilities of Bowbazar are not just due to age or unauthorized repairs. The 2019 East-West Metro tunneling incident remains etched in local memory. That year, a tunnel boring machine (TBM) struck an underground aquifer, causing massive subsidence. Multiple buildings collapsed, and more than 250 residents had to be evacuated. The geological composition of the area—intersected with aquifers, long-buried water bodies, and sedimentary fill—makes it especially prone to sudden collapses.
Geologists argue that even minor tremors from daily vehicular traffic or drilling work can exacerbate latent structural weaknesses in Bowbazar. As such, comprehensive geological surveys and real-time monitoring must accompany any construction or repair in these sensitive zones.
Public Reaction: Fear and Outrage in Heritage Communities
The incident has incited fear and fury among Bowbazar residents. Citizens expressed frustration at the lack of preventive action and demanded immediate steps to ensure structural safety in heritage neighborhoods.
Many residents called for:
- Prompt demolition or reinforcement of dangerous structures.
- Accountability for landlords and contractors operating without proper licenses.
- Transparency in KMC inspections and issuance of permits.
“How many more lives must be lost before authorities wake up?” questioned a local shopkeeper who had witnessed the collapse.
Expert Insights: Need for Heritage-Sensitive Regulation
Civil engineers and urban planners have echoed residents’ concerns. A structural engineer, preferring anonymity, warned that makeshift reinforcements without engineering oversight often cause more harm than good. “You cannot tamper with a hundred-year-old wall and expect plywood to save it,” he said.
Urban development experts argue that safety audits must be conducted in tandem with conservation efforts. The goal should be to retain architectural charm without compromising on human safety. Geologists reiterated that the foundation vulnerabilities in Bowbazar warrant real-time monitoring tools and vibration sensors, especially during repair work.
Municipal Actions: Toward Policy & Prevention
In the wake of the disaster, the KMC announced a series of emergency measures:
- Identification of 52 structurally risky buildings in and around Bowbazar.
- Launch of a heritage zone-wide safety audit across central Kolkata.
- Recommendation for installing CCTV and structural sensors in high-risk buildings.
- Proposal for a Heritage Safety Task Force comprising planners, engineers, and conservationists.
The municipal corporation has also issued an internal directive to improve complaint redressal, contractor registration norms, and public communication mechanisms.
Legal Accountability: FIR and Investigation Underway
Kolkata Police have begun criminal proceedings under Sections 304A, 317, and 318 of IPC. Investigations are focusing on whether tenants and contractors ignored official warnings. KMC’s building department is cross-checking permit records and prior notifications related to the property.
The Fire Department is also auditing whether the building had valid fire safety certifications—a requirement even for residential structures, especially older ones. Authorities are aiming to file a chargesheet within 30 days.
Heritage vs. Safety: A Fragile Balance
The tragedy has sparked a wider debate over how to balance the preservation of heritage with the need for structural safety. Bowbazar’s identity is built on its architecture—a mix of colonial-era houses, Bengali townhouses, and narrow alleys bustling with life. Yet these charming buildings are also aging, porous, and unsafe.
Conservationists have suggested implementing adaptive reuse models that allow for structural retrofitting while maintaining historical aesthetics. Residents have requested faster processing of repair permits and access to technical help for restoring fragile buildings.
Lessons from Comparable City Disasters
Kolkata has seen multiple similar tragedies that serve as cautionary tales:
- The Stephen Court fire in 2010 killed 43 people and exposed the perils of unauthorized construction.
- In 2017, the portico of a heritage building on BB Ganguly Street collapsed due to rusted reinforcements.
- Frequent fires in Burrabazar due to poor wiring have shown how one form of neglect can trigger multiple risks.
These incidents, much like Bowbazar’s, point to chronic systemic failure.
Social and Cultural Costs of Neglect
The physical damage caused by collapses is only part of the story. The psychological toll on residents, the loss of cultural landmarks, and the displacement of small businesses are equally devastating. Residents describe how generational homes, places of worship, and even street-corner tea stalls—pillars of the community—are being lost.
Local artist Chandrika Roy summarized the anguish poignantly: “Every wall in these buildings has a story. When they fall, so do our memories.”
Fighting Back: Civil Society Initiatives
In the absence of proactive governance, civil society has begun to step in. NGOs like Save Heritage Kolkata are launching community-led efforts to:
- Conduct workshops on identifying structural hazards.
- Pilot projects combining traditional architectural elements with modern engineering solutions.
- Develop a mobile app for citizens to report cracks, bulges, or unsafe extensions.
- Raise funds to support low-income residents unable to afford structural repairs.
These bottom-up initiatives offer hope but need institutional support to be scaled effectively.
What’s Next: A Plan of Action
Authorities and community members must now collaborate on a multipronged action plan:
- Conduct structural audits for five buildings adjacent to the collapse site.
- Expedite forensic and legal investigations.
- Launch a public awareness campaign on building safety norms.
- Implement pilot retrofitting using technologies like carbon-fibre reinforcement.
- Introduce mobile monitoring systems for real-time updates on at-risk buildings.
Most importantly, both heritage and human safety must be central to urban planning decisions.
Conclusion: Heritage in Peril, Lives at Risk
The Bowbazar building collapse stands as a grim reminder that heritage, if left uncared for, can become a threat rather than an asset. Kolkata must confront its dual responsibility: to preserve its architectural legacy and to protect the lives of those who inhabit it.
This incident should be a watershed moment. It must galvanize authorities, civil society, and citizens alike to move beyond reactive responses and invest in a sustainable, safety-conscious future for the city. The life of Ashutosh Adhikary—and countless others endangered by similar conditions—deserves nothing less than systemic, lasting change.
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