Urban News

The Hindu 13.02.2010

Check for safety measures before buying property in a building

Photo: Nagara Gopal

Man-made hazard: A building which collapsed due to poor construction. –

A series of mishaps from rampaging fire to collapsing structures that took away lives in the city has brought into sharp focus the way construction activity is planned, completed and used. Though a complete set of processes and procedures are in place to ensure that structures stand strong and not come down crumbling or fall victim to a single spark of fire, recent events put a question on whether the due procedures are followed.

If laid down practices are ignored by the builders that put structures and those building them or living in them at peril, then equally responsible are those who are supposed to monitor and ensure the implementation. While the local body has time and again brought out guidelines and reviewed them, the same are found more in violation than practise. Standards are specified in the National Building Code and even material and workmanship is expected to be of good quality confirming to the Bureau of Indian Standards and Specifications, but to what extent the same are followed happens to be the question.

Those taking up construction of high rise buildings are to give an undertaking certifying that the erection, re-erection of material, alteration or demolition will be carried out under supervision and also take responsibility for the structural and other safety of the building during construction and after completion.

Apart from detailed plan floor plans of all the floors, structural drawings and detail specifications certified by qualified structural engineer, they are to furnish prior clearance from the departments such as fire services, APTRANSCO and HMWSSB. Soil test report and structural stability certificate also are the other requirements.

At different stages of construction, appropriate and adequate monitoring is called for to ensure that the structural stability is being maintained with qualified experts but the same hardly is followed by many builders. For the issue of occupancy certificate for buildings above 10 metres, the local authority has to insist on a certificate by the architect that the structure was completed as per sanctioned plan, a structural stability certificate from structural engineer and extract of the site register containing inspection of site engineer, structural engineer and architect.

In fact, no construction is to be taken up without engaging the services of architect, structural engineer, site engineer and buildings coming up without their services are to be treated as ‘construction without permission’.

The building service works such as sanitation, plumbing, fire safety requirements, lifts, electrical installations and other utility services have to be executed under the planning, design and supervision of qualified and competent technical personnel.

There are checkpoints at different levels. And also before buyers of property in a particular property actually conclude a transaction, they are exposed to go through all the details. For this purpose, the builder is expected to exhibit the approved plan with details showing elevation and section at the project site for the perusal of a buyer. If only proper planning, usage of right material, deployment of qualified and trained personnel are involved in construction of a building and the construction progress is monitored and necessary check points are followed by architects, builders, local bodies and also buyers, then perhaps the scope of mishaps could be minimised to large extent.

The Hindu 12.02.2010

BBMP does flip-flop on building plan sanction

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Bangalore has brought out three cases where an applicant effectively made use of provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act for public good.

One of the coalition partners – S. Ananda from Anti Corruption Forum (ACF), had sought information from the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) regarding the sanction plan of Big Bazaar in Kathriguppe in February 2007. Initially, the Palike responded that a sanction plan was not accorded for the said building. Upon Mr. Anand’s application to take action against officials of the Town Planning Department in October 2007, the palike reverted saying its original reply was not correct. It said that the sanction plan was given in October 2001, commencement certificate was given in February 2003 and occupation certificate was issued in February 2005.

In another application, Mr. Ananda had sought details from the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation regarding implementation of the Contract Labour Act during the construction of its travel and transit management centre at Shanthinagar in June 2009. When it was found that the contractor did not maintain proper registers, a complaint was filed with the Labour Department. The Labour Department, in turn, inspected the premises, found the allegations true and registered cases against BMTC and the contractor.

Through BBMP website, Mr. Ananda found that there were seven joint/deputy commissioners in excess of the sanctioned strength of the Palike. When he sought to know who were the seven excess officials, the Palike furnished the names of only three officers, leaving the applicant wondering where were the remaining four officials.

Presenting the cases before the media here, R. Manohar, Head, Programmes, South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), said the public should make use of the provisions of the RTI Act to bring out the truth.

The Coalition conducts RTI Clinic on the last Saturday of every month and this time, the clinic would be conducted in Cubbon Park, in front of Bangalore Press Club Gate between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., he said.

Contact

For details on RTI Clinic, call Anand on 9241012730, R. Manohar on 9535037596, Vikram Simha on 9886020774 or K. Sudha on 9482050981.