Gkp’s Gordhiya Nullah: Crack develops in building near drain, demolished

A residential building near the under-construction Gordhiya Nala in Gorakhpur was demolished by district authorities on Thursday after a major crack developed in its structure, sparking concern among residents.

The incident occurred following 30.5 mm of rainfall that caused severe waterlogging across the city.

Officials confirmed that compensation of ₹36 lakh was paid to the building’s owner, Virendra Kumar Pandey, before the demolition. Executive engineer, Jal Nigam, Pankaj Kumar, said the structure was evacuated and razed as a safety measure. He added that the nullah has a designated width of 18 meters, and several other buildings have already been demolished, while 64 others have been marked for demolition.

The ongoing construction of the 9.2 km-long Gordhiya Nullah aims to address chronic waterlogging in 18 wards of the city. However, heavy rainfall on Thursday morning led to the dug-up nullah being filled with water within two hours, resulting in damage to adjacent buildings.

Pandey stated that although the land for the nullah had already been registered, negligence in installing protective iron sheets caused cracks in the building walls. “Had precautionary measures been taken, the damage could have been avoided,” he said.

Despite the administration’s assurances about safety, many residents remain unconvinced and have begun searching for rental accommodations to shift before the monsoon fully sets in.

The moderate to heavy rain, accompanied by lightning and thunder, also exposed the poor preparedness of the municipal corporation. Severe waterlogging was reported in several areas including the district hospital, wholesale vegetable market, Padribazar, Bharatpur, Illahibagh, Reti Crossing, and Cinema Road.

Residents also complained that the ongoing construction of drains has raised road levels, turning several colonies developed by the Gorakhpur Development Authority into water bowls. Water reportedly entered over 200 houses in various localities.

Weather scientist Danish Khan attributed the rainfall to a western disturbance and warned of more rain in the coming days. Thursday’s rainfall brought down the temperature by 8 degrees Celsius compared to Wednesday.

ABDUR RAHMAN