Urban News

The Hindu 07.11.2009

Builders urged to focus on low-cost housing

Staff Reporter

PHOTO: S.R. Raghunathan

In discussion: (From left) P.R. Swarup, Director General of CIDC, G.V.Ramakrishna, patron, CIDC, and Vikram Kapur, Member Secretary, CMDA, at the inauguration of a seminar on high-rise buildings in Chennai on Friday. —

CHENNAI: The city of Chennai does not even have a single high-rise building though Mumbai and even Hyderabad and Kolkata have several of them, said speakers at a seminar on high-rise buildings, organised by the Construction Industry Development Council Chennai Advisory Group (CIDC-CAG) here on Friday.

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority Member Secretary Vikram Kapur said since there was a paucity of parking place and infrastructure had to be improved in the city to meet the standards necessary for developing high-rise buildings, permission for such structures was only being considered. He said the CMDA had recently revised the floor space index to allow builders to construct taller buildings. “We have relaxed the number of no-objection certificates needed for builders to go ahead with a multi-storied building project, except a few mandatory ones like those from the fire services authority and the Airports Authority of India,” he said.

He suggested that the construction industry focus on meeting the housing needs of the economically weaker sections and low-income group families. He advised construction companies against indulging in unscrupulous practices and keep affordability in mind while building apartments.

Former bureaucrat G.V.Ramakrishna, a patron of CIDC, said Chennai was not yet prepared for high-rise apartments as this required infrastructure and safety standards to be created first. “Imagine if there was a fire in the 14th floor of a building and there was no fire-fighting equipment in it, what would happen to the residents,” he asked. While it was easy for builders to make money by building high-rise apartments, thought should also go into the problems unwary occupants were likely to face. “In the absence of facilities like service lifts, moving up and down the building will be difficult,” he said. Facilities such power back-up were also essential in such buildings.

In a panel discussion that followed, issues such as safety of high-rise buildings in the event of earthquakes were discussed.

The Hindu 12.09.2009

Collector asks officials to keep close watch on river courses

Special Correspondent

TIRUCHI: Steps were being taken to provide training to all officials and elected representatives of local bodies on disaster management as part of the precautionary arrangements being taken ahead of the onset of the North East monsoon, Collector T. Soundiah has said.

Chairing a meeting to review the precautionary arrangements being taken ahead of the monsoon here on Thursday, Mr. Soundiah said the officials and elected representatives, including corporation, municipalities and town panchayat wards members, would be given one-day training on disaster management.

“Zonal, taluk and block level coordination meetings should be held on disaster management. Gram Sabha meetings should be convened to discuss flood prevention measures,” he told the officials.

He instructed the Revenue and Public Works Department officials to maintain a close watch on river courses and ensure that there were no vulnerable points.

Encroachments along all water courses, including the Cauvery and Coleroon Rivers, should be removed.

Sand bags ready

The PWD has stocked 1.25 lakh sand bags ready to meet any exigency.

Officials should also identify temporary shelters to accommodate people in case of emergencies.

Adequate stocks of essential commodities should be maintained in all ration shops.

The Fire and Rescue Service has also been requested to keep in readiness boats and other equipments for rescue operations.

Government hospitals, primary health centres and veterinary hospitals should have adequate stocks of medicines and vaccines, the Collector told the officials.

District officials were also instructed to monitor the rainfall recorded in the neighbouring districts of Karur and Pudukottai, as most of the surplus discharges from these district usually flowed into Tiruchi.

District Revenue Officer V. Dakshinamurthy, the Project Officer of the District Rural Development Agency, J. Dhanasekaran, the Joint Director of Health, M. Poongothai attended the meeting.