200 vulnerable bldgs in Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat still in use

16 December 2009, 17:00 PM

EAM Asaduzzaman, Nilphamari

Nilphamari district jail, which was declared vulnerable and abandoned by Public Works Department long ago, still in use posing threat to lives of many inmates. Photo: STAR

Frequent tremors remind the people of Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat that 200 buildings, declared vulnerable and abandoned by Public Works Department (PWD) long ago, are still in use posing serious threat to their lives. Experts apprehend heavy causalities and loss of property if a major earthquake occurs in the northern region. Of the 200 buildings, a few were constructed during the British period and they are still housing important government offices and establishments. There are at least 30 structures on the list of vulnerable buildings prepared by PWD in Nilphamari. The buildings include giant Sayedpur railway workshop, district Jail, railway stations of Nilphamari, Sayedpur and Domar, old building of Nilphamari Government Boys High School, Sayedpur Bangla High School, Sayedpur municipality office, Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall and Nil Kuthi now being used as officers mess. Lalmonirhat having the divisional office of railway department, has more than 300 railway buildings built during the British period. The department declared at least 100 of those abandoned many years ago. But most of those structures are still being used as offices and godowns and even as residences. PWD sources in Lalmonirhat informed at least 100 railway buildings in Babu Para, Store Para, Saheb Para and other places have been declared risky. Sayedpur railway workshop in Nilphamari district, built in 1885, has now became risky but several thousand people, including many high officials, still work there. The district jail complex in Nilphamari was constructed over 125 years ago and the PWD declared it vulnerable about 12 years ago. Jailer Golam Rabbani told this correspondent that the jail, which was built with a capacity to accommodate only 94 prisoners, are houses more than 500 inmates. Station Master of Nilphamari railway station Shafiqul Islam said tenders were floated six years ago for demolition of the station building and construction of a new one. "But there is sign of progress as yet in this regard," he lamented. Talking to this correspondent, a PWD assistant engineer in Nilphamari said besides the public buildings, a number of private owned structures in the district are also equally vulnerable to major earthquake. Two years ago, the newly constructed slaughter-house of Nilphamari municipality collapsed all of a sudden, killing five people. Kazi Rafiqul Alam, divisional railway manager in Lalmonirhat, said the f railway division in Lalmonirhat officially declared more than 100 buildings, built in British period, abandoned. But the risky buildings are still in use for lack of accommodation and fund , he added. The executive engineer of PWD in Lalmonirhat, Khairul Islam, told this correspondent that risky public buildings might rain down on users in case of a major earthquake. But most of those buildings cannot be demolished right now as there is no alternative arrangements, he said.