Century-old Nanking Hotel flagged as 'ticking time bomb': JNTU engineers.
Hyderabad: A century later, Nanking Chinese restaurant is forced to look for a new building after civil engineers declared it unsafe. A report issued by the civil engineering faculty of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) flagged the deteriorating condition of the Chinese eatery on Park Lane of SP Road in Secunderabad.
The JNTU report stressed that the building, which houses the restaurant, is structurally unstable and poses a grave risk to public safety. It also emphasizes the urgent need to demolish the building to avert a potential disaster. The civil engineers assessed the building's structure following a request from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
Over the years, the condition of the restaurant's two-storey building has worsened due to severe water accumulation, widespread cracks, and significant wear and tear. The engineers have described the structure as uninhabitable due to extensive structural damage and added that it may collapse even from a minor earthquake or heavy rainfall.
Terming the current state of the Nanking Hotel as "alarming", the report emphasized that the building's "blown-out plastering, cracked walls, rusted iron bars, and separation of slab blocks" indicate its deteriorating condition. The restaurant is quite popular in Secunderabad, and hundreds of patrons visit it daily. The JNTU report warns that the building is a "ticking time bomb," posing a severe threat to both occupants and passersby.
Recalling a 2012 incident at the same hotel in which a chef lost his life and a restaurant owner suffered injuries, the engineers cautioned, "It is a grim reminder of the dangers posed by dilapidated structures. Action must be taken before history repeats itself."
With the structural audit of Nanking Hotel completed, civic officials are expected to act on the report's findings to prevent potential loss of life. The engineers have also recommended immediate demolition of the building to avert a greater tragedy and ensure public safety.
