Lucknow fire: LDA issues demolition notice for building where 15 died

The LDA has issued a demolition notice for the Lucknow building where a fire killed 15, citing illegal commercial use. Owners have 15 days to reply before potential bulldozer action. Similar enforcement drives are sealing institutes in Varanasi.

Demolition Notice Issued in Lucknow

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has issued a notice to the owners of a building in the Aliganj area of Lucknow where a massive fire had broken out on June 22, killing 15 people, officials said.

LDA has initiated demolition proceedings against the building involved in the Aliganj coaching centre fire incident, stating that commercial activities were being carried out on premises approved for residential use. According to officials, the notice has been affixed on the same three-storey building that housed a gaming and animation studio where the incident took place. The authority has directed the building owners to submit a response within 15 days and indicated that further action will be taken based on their reply. The fire had broken out in a coaching institute operating from the building in the Aliganj area, leaving students, trainees and staff members among the 15 deceased. In its notice, the LDA has also warned of strict action if the response is found unsatisfactory. "If the LDA does not receive a satisfactory reply, demolition proceedings using bulldozers will be initiated," the notice stated.

Wider Crackdown on Illegal Establishments

Meanwhile, several coaching institutes were sealed on Tuesday during an enforcement drive by the Varanasi Development Authority (VDA). Following the Lucknow fire incident, many coaching institutes in Prayagraj have also been sealed, and notices were issued after inspection.

Speaking to reporters, Varanasi Development Authority Vice Chairman Purna Borah said that the authority is carrying out a systematic inspection campaign across the city, targeting PG accommodations, guest houses, hostels and group housing facilities to verify compliance with approved maps and regulations.

Borah said the drive is being conducted in two phases across different zones and will continue for the next 15 days. He added, "Wherever the children study, whether it is a library or a coaching centre, the Varanasi Development Authority runs campaigns from time to time, in accordance with the direction of the government... So a campaign of this is going on in two steps in different zones, for the next fifteen days, we are surveying all the PG, guest houses, hostels, group housing, through Google Forms, so that we can find out what activities are being conducted there in contrast to the map."

He further said that during an inspection of a coaching centre, officials found an additional floor being used commercially despite the building being sanctioned for residential use, with coaching activity on a different floor. "I myself visited a coaching centre where one floor was found to be additional. Along with the residential map, a coaching centre was running on the second floor, which was commercial. Their standards are slightly different, so we sealed them there," he told reporters.

"The purpose is not to harass anyone but to ensure adherence to development authority standards. Today, action was taken in eight cases, and further enforcement will continue," he said.

This comes after the fire had broken out in a three-storey building in Lucknow's Aliganj area on June 22, which housed a gaming and animation studio. Among the 15 people who lost their lives in the blaze were students, trainees, and staff members working at the studio. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)