Markets under private ownership across the city will be assessed for their structural stability, drainage system, solid waste management and other facilities, including washrooms, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided.

Markets under private ownership in the city include Jadu Babu’s Bazar, Koley Market, Baithakkhana Bazar, Narkeldanga Market, Chatubabu Bazar and Parnasree Market.

Senior KMC officials said some of them were in a deplorable state.

“Beginning next week, a 10-member committee comprising senior officials from the markets, building, solid waste management, light and other departments will be visiting these markets,” Amiruddin (Bobby), mayoral council member-in-charge of markets, told Metro.

During a recent administrative meeting in Nabanna, chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concerns about dilapidated buildings, including some of the markets. The buildings pose a threat to the visitors to the markets, Mamata had said, picking on Jadu Babu’s Bazar in particular.

Mamata had instructed the civic body to speak to the owner of the Bhowanipore market so immediate repairs could be taken up.

Senior KMC officials said the team members will assess different aspects of each private market across the city and find out who the present owners are before initiating a dialogue on the maintenance of the buildings.

Some of these include:

• Who is the legal owner of the market building?
• How old is the market?
• What is the maintenance plan? Do stall owners pay any amount for the annual maintenance of the building?
• When was the building last repaired?
• What is the drainage system and what is the sanctioned strength of the stalls?
• How is waste management carried out?

Senior officials said several of these private markets have multiple owners and some are hard to trace. It is necessary to bring all the owners together before initiating any dialogue on maintenance, they said.

“An initial check on the ownership status of Jadu Babu’s bazar has thrown up over 50 names. Locating all of them and getting consent for overhauling the market building remains a challenge,” a senior KMC official said.

Apart from the sorry state of the buildings and the drainage, some of the markets are also tinderboxes with electrical wires hanging precariously and entry exits covered with items, including packing boxes and waste material, officials said.

“During our last visit to Jadu Babu’s bazar, we had asked the manager to ensure the cables were arranged properly. The team visiting the markets now will also assess whether firefighting amenities are in place, the condition of the cables and the procedure to clear the market of inflammable articles,” the KMC officials said.

Since some of the private market buildings are decades old, officials of the KMC’s building department said they would check the drainage system to find out whether the terraces are clogged forcing rainwater to seep through hairline cracks in the concrete.

“When water starts to seep in, the rods inside the concrete pick up rust gradually weakening the structure. We would like to check the condition of the terraces of the buildings of the private markets during the visits,” an official of the KMC’s building department said.