The news these days seem to be about falling buildings. The obvious reasons are bad engineering, use of inferior-quality building material, and weak foundations. And then, passionate architects will aver that proper curing does not take place in the construction stage.
Urban India can vouch for the fact that its cityscape is changing rapidly. Old homes and government facilities are giving way to new ones. Ten to 20, and sometimes even a hundred, apartments, stores or offices replace the one old structure that was housed on a sprawling piece of land.
Associated necessities such as water supply and sewage disposal have been stretched beyond imagination. Though the law of the land warrants every building to leave a minimal margin space around buildings, nobody seems to be paying heed to the rule. So when the skies open up, rainwater has nowhere to go except into the clogged stormwater drains. For the rooftops are flat unlike the rural structures with sloping roofs allowing water to drain off the top. We have most buildings consciously incorporating rainwater harvesting systems, but then where is the space for the water which accumulates in the stormwater drain flow? Every inch of space has been built on. If at all there is a ribbon of land around the building, it is cemented, which means it prevents rainwater from percolating into the earth. The kind of frenzy with which buildings are jostling and elbowing one another, it is really a wonder that they seem to hold fort for quite a while before falling down like a pack of cards.
Every time one such episode of faulty engineering raises its ugly head, a lot of dust is kicked up. Sometimes one or two people who are unable to cover their back with cash or influence face the brunt. Media gets its share of fodder by way of breaking news. After a few more violent showers, the season passes and the topic hibernates till the next rains or the next building on the casualty list or whichever is earlier.
At this point, one must acknowledge that what has been discussed thus far happens to be only one part of the story, for the woes associated with buildings have many more dimensions. When a new construction is raised in place of old ones, the neighbouring buildings are affected in more ways than one. The raucous noise, the dust clouds and the lack of proper ventilation dog them for six to eight months of the year. Then they have to bear the brunt of building material being dumped in and around the place with or without their permission. Roads are sometimes blocked. Many a time, the properties on adjacent plots are damaged or defaced without an iota of compunction. As if these woes are not enough, building debris and building material not only provide obstacle course training but also get washed into our stormwater drains and sewage system when the skies open up. The already clogged drainage system will overflow mercilessly and form little pools and help mosquitoes breed. It is needless to dwell on the possible epidemics, diseases and infections that are lurking around the corner to plague the neighbourhood.
If this menace has to end, some kind of a method should be introduced into this madness. People who plan to build in the midst of well populated areas should register for official permission and also make a solemn pledge in writing that they will be of minimum nuisance value to the layout and will compensate for damage, losses and inconvenience caused by them. Though this measure may not solve the problem entirely, it will definitely wake up people towards a more educated way of going about their project. If we as a country choose to look the other way when the construction industry forges forward unethically in an unbridled way, all of us will have to pay for it together.
prathi2000@rediffmail.com
