An extensive audit of under-construction high-rise buildings in Kolkata has revealed serious lapses in construction quality and safety standards, with only 11 of 160 inspected projects receiving clearance to resume work. The first-phase findings were made public on Monday by Smita Pandey, Municipal Commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, following a detailed review by a government-appointed high-powered committee.
The audit was launched in the aftermath of the June 24 Taratala warehouse collapse, which claimed 16 lives and triggered urgent concerns over construction safety across the city. According to the report, a total of 344 applications for high-rise construction have been submitted to the civic body over the past three years. Of these, 200 ongoing projects were identified for scrutiny in the first phase, and inspection teams physically visited 160 sites to assess structural integrity, material quality and adherence to safety protocols. The findings revealed that the majority of these buildings failed to meet required standards, with only 11 projects deemed fit to continue construction.
To facilitate the audit process, authorities imposed a blanket ban on all under-construction high-rise projects until July 31, allowing teams to carry out inspections with urgency. The Commissioner said the exercise was conducted on a “war footing” to prevent further incidents and ensure compliance with regulations.
The audit also uncovered severe irregularities in 23 high-rise projects, where construction has now been ordered to stop immediately. Officials found the use of substandard materials and a near-complete disregard for safety norms, posing a significant risk to workers and surrounding areas. The civic body has returned the files of these projects to developers, directing them to rectify all deficiencies before any work can resume.
Meanwhile, reports related to another 41 high-rise buildings have been forwarded to a technical sub-committee for further examination. Decisions on these projects will be taken only after detailed technical clearance is granted.
Municipal officials indicated that the scale of violations points to systemic issues in the city’s construction practices, raising broader concerns about regulatory enforcement and urban safety. The audit drive was initiated following directives from the state government in the wake of the Taratala tragedy, with instructions issued from Nabanna, the state secretariat, to clamp down on illegal and unsafe construction.
While the first phase of the audit has now been completed, the municipal commissioner said the process is ongoing and further inspections will continue, signalling stricter oversight of construction activities in Kolkata in the coming weeks.
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