A professor from Jadavpur University, Debasish Bandyopadhyay, has raised urgent concerns about the safety of Kolkata’s tilting buildings, warning that they could collapse in the event of a strong earthquake. Bandyopadhyay, an expert in structural engineering and seismic design, stated that buildings in the city, especially those built on unstable soil, are highly vulnerable during an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 to 7.

He pointed out that the city’s soft and shifting soil often causes buildings to tilt over time. In many cases, improper soil investigations and failure to follow construction codes have worsened the problem. According to Bandyopadhyay, high-rise buildings built without deep, properly planned foundations are particularly at risk. Many structures are prone to settlement and may collapse if the soil beneath them shifts too much.

Buildings constructed on narrow plots with fewer columns are more likely to be destabilized by soil movement. This is especially true for buildings with three or fewer supporting columns, which lack sufficient lateral resistance to prevent tilting. Bandyopadhyay also highlighted the risk caused by construction near existing buildings, where excavation work can disrupt the stability of surrounding structures.

He suggested that retrofitting buildings with additional bracings, shear walls, and other stabilizing measures could help reduce the risk. In the past, similar strategies have been successfully applied to tilt-prone buildings in the city.