Pune Cantonment Board awaits resident’s action on shaky buildings

As the monsoon arrives, the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) claims that it has done as much as is legally possible to repair dangerous buildings while admitting that owner-tenant disputes are hindering repairs in many structures. The engineering department carries out inspections of structures both commercial and residential known to be unstable or have aged, while there is nothing in the cantonment board statutes or in the Cantonment Act of 2006 providing for structural audits. These inspections are generally carried out in the months immediately after the rains subside, and in the few months before the arrival of the monsoon. The board in such condition, under Section 297 of the Cantonment Act, is required to send a notice to the lease-holder of the property after necessary inspections, instructing him to undertake repairs in the property concerned, subject to approval from the board of the refurbishment plans. According to officials, Since September 2017, the PCB has sent eight notices to leaseholders. The board members also expressed their frustration over the issue, saying that despite ample opportunities, the owners find excuses to not undertake repairs.