Unfit structures pose constant threat to public safety in Kozhikode city

The delay on the part of local administrators in initiating the demolition of structurally unsafe buildings has left over a hundred dilapidated structures posing a major threat to public safety across Kozhikode city. Despite the Kozhikode Corporation’s own engineering wing submitting periodic reports recommending immediate demolition, the administrators’ insistence on waiting for technical clearance from competent authorities has delayed the process.

Months after the tragic incident at Valiyangadi, in which the collapse of the sunshade of a Corporation building claimed four lives, no concrete action has been taken to address the issue. The crisis is not confined to public properties, as the fitness of numerous old private buildings also remains unchecked. The recent collapse of the clock tower at the Kozhikode railway station also exposes the glaring negligence in the timely demolition of dangerous old structures.