The Hindu 09.07.2013
Structural stability policy mooted for old buildings
In the wake of the collapse of City Light Hotel on
Monday, the government mooted a proposal for a suitable ‘Comprehensive
Building Structural Stability Policy’ to regulate such buildings.
Chief
Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy directed the officials to formulate the
policy to regulate vulnerable buildings in consultation with experts and
structural engineers to ensure safety of not only inmates of the
buildings in question but also people in the neighbourhood.
Monday’s
incident brought into sharp focus the lack of application of scientific
mechanism for evaluation of structural stability of old buildings. “The
collapsed several decades-old hotel building is not apparently included
in the list of buildings notified for demolition based on its visual
appearance. Therefore a suggestion also came up to constitute an expert
committee to thoroughly examine the lacunae in the evaluation of old
buildings in the city,” an official said.
GHMC
Commissioner T. Krishna Babu informed the Chief Minister that 307
buildings were identified as old and structurally and visually weak by
the JNTU as the third party checking agency.
Due care not taken
A
senior official explained that many of the old buildings in the city
were constructed with load bearing walls unlike pillar based
construction that became a norm much later. When new buildings were
constructed in the vicinity of the old buildings, due care was not being
taken to maintain a safe distance from them. “The old buildings have no
deep foundation and when the soil around them is disturbed, the
foundation becomes vulnerable and their load bearing walls weaken,” he
said.
It is rather common to see constructions
deviating from the approved building plans or modifications to existing
buildings without approval. The field staff are lax in putting such
constructions on notice or turn a blind eye, a senior official observed.
“Even in cases where notices have been served for demolitions, they are
contested by the owners in the court of law alleging vested interest by
the builders and succeed in obtaining stay orders. The GHMC officers
mostly don’t take pains to get the stay order vacated,” said sources.
An
independent evaluation committee, structural fitness committee outside
of government for a fair assessment without any compromise should be
considered without any delay, they point out.
It was
also proposed that a census be taken of all old buildings and houses
particularly those standing on the load bearing walls for evaluating
their structural strength.
Chief
Minister directs officials to formulate policy to regulate vulnerable
buildings in consultation with experts and structural engineers.