Surge in defective homes

 

 

The death of some six persons in a house collapse at Thiruvananthapuram has generated debate about the safety of old buildings in the city. Shoddy home construction is the concern of the locals.

The furious pace of home building in Kerala has contributed to a surge in defective homes. To meet the deadline, builders ignore quality material. In many places, the authorities fail to inspect new homes. Cases of house collapse have swelled in the state. According to Local Self-government (LSG) minister, Paloli Mohammed Kutty more than hundred building permits in the capital are suspected to have issued violating norms.

The five-decade-old Uduppi Sreenivas Lodge collapsed while renovation works were being carried out. The city corporation had given permission to demolish the inner walls of the lodge rooms to convert it into a modern hotel. But the inner walls were demolished without giving proper support to the structure. Besides, no inspection was carried out. This resulted in the accident. Though the government has ordered a probe, the city corporation is yet to take action against the building inspectors who are responsible to conduct regular inspection of the site. Shockingly, an official in the local self-government ministry on condition of anonymity, says such inspection takes place rarely. “Usually, LSGs give permit after inspecting the site. Sometimes even such an inspection does not take place. The number of inspectors is not sufficient to check even the new constructions in most of the LSGs,” he adds.

Experts are of the opinion that the legal procedure of the renovation works raises serious concerns about safety. “It is mere luck that many of the renovated buildings are still there. If the government fails to address the issue, there will be more accidents,” says Atul V, an architect.