KOCHI: Recent incidents of abrupt building collapse in the city are causing worry to residents, especially with the rain and wind wreaking havoc across the state. Poor infrastructure and town planning, and lack of proper supervision on the structural stability of buildings seem to be the major factors behind such catastrophes.
Though the corporation claims it allows constructions only after inspections, the officials admit there are limitations to ensuring stability at multiple stages of construction or years after it. “Local bodies clear the structural plan. Many things have to be considered while doing so. Trained supervisors and structural engineers should be involved in the construction of buildings, instead of just contractors doing it their way.
We have already given instructions to count the number of dilapidated buildings within the corporation limits,” said Mayor M Anilkumar. In Kochi, four buildings have collapsed this year alone while three came down last year. District fire officer Jojy A S added two such incidents were reported from Gandhi Nagar, Kadavanthra, alone this year.
Residents worried
The city’s population is also apprehensive about the recent building collapses. They are now calling for inspection by corporation authorities, especially with more rain expected in the coming weeks. President of Ernakulam District Residents’ Associations’ Apex Council (EDRAAC) Rangadasa Prabhu said that city’s structures should be revamped to withstand rough weather. “The local bodies are not making any efforts to supervise the construction activities. They act like their responsibility is over once the plan is sanctioned,” he said.
Maintainance and supervision
Ravi Jacob, president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), Kochi, said there are many instances where safety measures are not considered, and construction is assigned to unskilled labourers without supervision by structural engineers. “Once, an unskilled migrant worker demolished a partition wall from the lowest storey of a building, pulling the whole structure down. Another issue is concerning buildings in dispute, where owners are abroad and no one is paying for or supervising regular maintenance. Such buildings should be identified,” he said.
Low-lying areas vulnerable
Location of the building, materials used for construction and mode of construction have a huge impact on a building, says Manju C S, an assistant geologist at the department of mining and geology. In areas close to water bodies, clay content in the soil will be higher, affecting the stability of the building, she added. “Such defects can damage the construction later. The black clay under the upper soil might slip, leading the building to collapse. Lack of a strong foundation and deviation in the path of groundwater can also affect the strength of the construction,” she said.
Demand for an inspectorate
The recent catastrophes have increased the demand for a supervising body, like a structural inspectorate, that will take responsibility for the overall construction and stability of buildings in the city. According to Anil Joseph, managing director of GeoStructural and former president of Association of Structural and Geotechnical Consultants, buildings here are not planned or designed like abroad. He also pointed out the fate of some important buildings in the city like the Cochin Cancer Centre and General Hospital, Ernakulam. “In both the buildings, the construction works had to be stopped midway owing to the defects in structural engineering,” he said, highlighting the need for a structural inspectorate.
“Currently, KIIFB has a committee that audits structure plans and sanctions them. In advanced countries, a registered construction engineer with enough experience supporting such projects is made responsible for ensuring structural integrity,” he said. He also cited the example of the KSRTC bus station building in Kozhikode, which doesn’t even have an available structure plan as of now. “Our government does not know who signed the stability certificate of that building. In Bengaluru, 400 buildings are under threat of collapse owing to the recent downpour. Four buildings including a police quarter collapsed there recently,” Anil added.
Rearview
July 14
A construction worker trapped on the 14th floor of an under-construction building at Panampilly Nagar died after the building collapsed
July 16
Tragedy averted in Kalamassery after the ground floor of a three-storeyed building caved in
August 26
An old building, which was part of the Mather complex, partially collapsed in Ernakulam North