The tragic earth
quake that has hit Nepal is a warning for all of us in India. It has been said
that earth quakes don’t kill, but falling buildings do. Ours is a country
notorious for its inability to enforce building codes. Politicians and
bureaucrats have made a mockery of building codes. Irregularities are there in
the majority of buildings. Laws are enacted to “regularize” malpractices by
paying some money.
Malls are allowed to come up in the middle of cities without
adequate parking. The roads are
overloaded. The sewage system gets overloaded making most malls “the stinking
malls” of India.
In the
midst of all this, some cities are planning to encourage very tall buildings,
allowing a floor space (FSI) index as high as 6 or more! What will
happen if a major earthquake hits a metropolitan city, killing several hundred
thousand people?
Whose responsibility is it to mitigate such a disaster by
tightening up on the inspection of buildings and eliminating corruption? Who
will review the accountability of traffic management authorities and fire
services? Who will ensure that they are allowed to operate without interference
from corrupt politicians? Who will ensure that architects, builders and
authorities who give occupancy certificates are held accountable long after the
buildings are complete?
