Ranchi: With the monsoon intensifying, several ageing private and govt buildings across the city have emerged as potential safety hazards, raising fears of collapse that could endanger both the inhabitants and passers-by.In localities like Jalan Road, Cart Road, Upper Bazaar, Daily Market, Albert Ekka Chowk among several other parts of the city, many old buildings, mostly privately owned, exist showing visible signs of deterioration, with cracked walls, damaged roofs and weakened structures.Many of these structures are located in densely populated commercial areas with shops and other business establishments operating in them. If the buildings collapse, that would not only bring down the structure but also result in casualties.Similar to the private ones, govt buildings like the govt bus stand located near the Ranchi railway station are also on the verge of collapse, with peeling plaster, damaged roofs and worn-out steps posing safety risks to hundreds of passengers and bus operators commuting daily across the state.The safety hazards these buildings pose have become a pertinent concern as similar incidents happened across the state, claiming many lives. Exactly a year ago on July 18 last year, a portion of a roof of a govt school building collapsed in Ranchi’s Piska More area, killing one.Similarly, three people, including an 82-year-old, were injured after the roof of a dilapidated building collapsed in a housing colony in Jamshedpur in July 2025. Four people were killed at Jamshedpur’s MGM Medical College and Hospital after a balcony collapsed in May 2025.Despite the looming threat, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has not undertaken a dedicated survey to identify structurally unsafe or dilapidated buildings, nor has it issued notices directing occupants to vacate premises so that casualties can be prevented in the wake of a building collapse.RMC additional commissioner Sanjay Kumar said, “The civic body has been surveying illegal buildings across the city that encompasses illegal buildings too. But we have not yet identified any such unsafe or dilapidated buildings in the city. If any such buildings are found, experts will inspect the structures and take a call on further action.”He said that public and govt authorities inform the civic body of such dilapidated buildings existing in the city and they take action. “Recently, we have been informed about an agriculture department’s building existing near the Kutchery area, which is not in a good condition. Executive engineers of authorities concerned have been directed to examine the building,” Kumar said.
