LUCKNOW More than a week after cracks developed on a structural pillar of SA Apartment in Wazirganj, the fate of the residential building remains uncertain as the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) awaits a final structural audit report.

A private agency assigned to conduct the structural audit had not yet finalised its report, said LDA officials. “The final decision can be taken only after the agency submits its structural assessment. The report will then be submitted to the district administration,” an official said.

The structure, which was evacuated on September 28 after a pillar developed cracks, remains entirely sealed off. Approximately 25 families were forced to abandon their homes and are currently taking refuge with relatives or in alternative accommodations.

Mohd Israr, who had lived in the building for nearly 15 years, told HT on Tuesday that residents were allowed to enter the premises only once, with administrative assistance, to retrieve their belongings. “We were allowed to take only important valuables. Since then, the building has remained sealed and we are staying at relatives’ homes, waiting to know what will happen to it,” he said.

The LDA had earlier planned to constitute a fresh committee headed by its additional secretary to assess whether the building could be strengthened and made fit for occupation. The move followed the September 28 pillar damage.

The incident also put the building’s construction history and LDA’s enforcement mechanism under scrutiny. According to LDA records, Shahabuddin submitted the building map on May 25, 2009, and the authority sanctioned it on August 12, 2009, under permit number 26520. The sanctioned plan allowed construction of a basement and three floors.

However, the building has three additional floors beyond the sanctioned plan. The LDA issued a notice regarding the violations in 2020 and issued another notice earlier this week as the building continued to remain occupied.