Open House: What should be done to mitigate the dangers posed by old, weak buildings in city?

Inspect all suspected buildings, bridges

Lately, there has an increase in the number of old buildings collapsing in the city. Though no fatalities have been reported as of the latest incident, a collapsing structure can have disastrous consequences. A building can collapse unexpectedly for a variety of reasons, including soil corrosion, weakened foundation and loss of sustainability in its walls. However, the deterioration of building material over time is unarguably the first step in the collapse of a structure. It is common knowledge that preventing a collapse is the responsibility of both the owner and the governing bodies. Authorities should, therefore, come up with clearer guidelines for regular inspection and evaluation of all old buildings and bridges of the city to prevent future disasters.

Novin Christopher

QUESTION

The opening of public sand mines in the state has led to the slashing of sand prices by almost 10 times. However, the costs of other construction material still remain high. What should be done to regulate and ensure the availability of all construction material at fair and genuine prices?

Suggestions in not more than 100 words can be sent to [email protected] by Thursday (February 16).

Make residents aware about rescue measures

It is only after a mishap has happened and life and property has been lost that the authorities swing into action and take strict measures. However, it is always possible to mitigate damage if long-term precautionary measures are taken well before disaster strikes. The municipal authorities should act in the same manner pertaining to this case. This should be coupled with creating awareness among people who are staying near or in the suspect houses/ buildings. They should be told about the rescue measures in case a disaster does happen. Furthermore, people should follow the guidelines laid down by the government while demolishing their homes. In the present case as well, the building collapsed when a demolition was being carried out in its vicinity.

Tanishka Pruthi

Fix onus on housing societies

Many housing societies do not ensure routine maintenance of buildings due to illiteracy, negligence, or, in some cases, disagreement among their members. A law must be made to fix the onus of maintenance-related functions on these societies, so as to avoid complete dependence on the government to avoid mishaps. The government should order an investigation of old buildings to make sure that they are well maintained and safe to live in. In case a building is deemed unsafe, the government should take necessary steps to guarantee that mishaps can be avoided.

Tamanpreet Kaur Khangura

Conduct Periodic surveys of buildings

The media has been repeatedly bringing it to the notice of the local government authorities that certain roads, bridges and buildings are in a poor shape and can lead to major disasters if their maintenance is not ensured. However, there has been little action from the authorities’ end in this regard. The best way to come out from the unpredictable situation of collapse of buildings and bridges is that the government must establish a committee to conduct surveys inspect old buildings and bridges on a periodic basis. These must be repaired or reconstructed in a stipulated time-frame. The onus of getting these structures repaired should be fixed on the councillor of each ward.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Disobeying guidelines should be punishable

To avoid incidents of collapse of old buildings and bridges, the Municipal Corporation must punish the guilty. After a building has been declared unsafe by a committee of the corporation, asking the fundamental question as to why an owner did not pay attention to get it repaired is the responsibility of the authorities. The government must take strict action against those disobeying its orders. Bridges or buildings that have been declared unsafe must be repaired on time by the authorities. The government, however, only comes up with temporary measures. An instance of this is the bridge near the Chand cinema which has been crying for attention for the last few years. However, the only remedy the authorities have so far come up with is diverting traffic in the area.

Farzana Khan

Take strict action against offenders

Reasons for the potential collapse of buildings can be multidimensional. It is up to the Municipal Corporation to manage this situation. The MC should carry out mandatory surveys of all old and weak structures in the city. These are generally located in the congested areas of Ludhiana and pose a danger to the lives of residents. The authorities should convince the owners to dismantle these buildings before they collapse. Incentives should be announced for the owners who obey this advisory on time. The offenders should be punished economically. There should not be a biased implementation of precautionary measures. Politicians should avoid interference in the matter. Residents should also cooperate with the authorities to root out the problem.

Sukhdev Sharma

Seek advice from civil engineers, experts

Another decades-old building collapsed in a densely populated area of the city recently. Though no loss of life was reported, the authorities are certainly guilty of turning a blind eye towards the issue of weak structures that can collapse any time. The administration should take the necessary precautionary steps immediately. The authorities should order inspection of all areas where decades-old buildings are present. Expertise of civil engineers should be sought to deal with the situation.

Adish Sood

Collapse More likely during monsoon

Three members of a family had a close shave after a century-old building collapsed in Chaura Bazar area in Ludhiana a few days back. The building had already been declared unsafe by the MC but the owner had not bothered to bring down the building in spite of a notice issued by the MC in this connection. A number of such incidents have been reported in the past, but no concrete action has been initiated by the civic body. There are over 200 unsafe buildings in various parts of the city for which the MC officials should take necessary steps to save precious lives. They should issue notices to the owners of illegal and unsafe buildings, asking them to demolish them, failing which they will be responsible for any mishap. Fresh notices should be served to the owners of these buildings especially before monsoon every year to bring down such unsafe buildings by themselves. If they still do not do the needful, help of the police should be sought to get such buildings evacuated. Immediate remedial measures like repair or renovation should be taken up when there appear cracks in the walls, sagging floors, cracking arches, buckling beams, etc. The MC, GLADA and Improvement Trust should ensure that the new dwelling units are constructed only in colonies approved by the competent authorities, strictly as per the law. To ensure that a house remains prevented from collapse, its foundation must be strong.

RS Sembhi

Hire private firms for upkeep of old buildings

Ludhianvis witnessed a collapse of building in the past few days. Such incidents can be a nightmare for those who lose their loved ones in such incidents. It is the duty of local authorities to maintain these buildings. It is high time to keep a check on the strength of these buildings. A lackadaisical approach compromise the precious lives of people. Authorities should maintain a record of buildings that are at a risk so that they can be repaired on time. In case the authorities are not able to implement proper policies for the cause, they can hire private companies for the maintenance of such buildings.

Vanshika Maggo

Stronger foundations can avoid disaster

It was disheartening to hear the news of collapse of a building at Ludhiana in recent days. The contractors should use good quality building material rather than thinking of their profit. Just for petty gains, they use low quality material and put life of people at stake. Proper maintenance of the building must be done so that if any problem is found, it can be treated well before an unfortunate incident. The structure of the building should be constructed in such a way that it can face any problem. Strong and concrete buildings should be structured. These suggestions can be proved helpful if implemented well.

Charanjeet Kaur

Act strictly against culprits

It is very unfortunate that a decades-old building has fallen in the interior of the city. Though no loss of life was reported, yet it is a matter of shame on the part of district administration. The government needs to take serious view of the sordid picture. The government must punish the culprits who are responsible for this sorry state of affairs.

JBS Nanda

Earthquake-resistant buildings must be built

Through your esteemed paper, I want to suggest my views about this problem. The government has to be aware of the construction standards. A building can suddenly collapse for many different reasons like faulty construction, termite damage, and rot, caused by the weight of snow, ice, blasts, etc. Because of this, there is a lot of loss to property, material and human life. To stop this, the government can check old buildings constructed in the area and design earthquake-resistant buildings.

Krishma Arora

Stop entry to unsafe buildings

It is the responsibility of the local government to ensure proper residential facilities for the people. They must consider prior developed cracks in the walls and immediately inform the authorities concerned. The foremost prevention is in leaving the building which has already been declared unsafe by the municipal corporation. Apart from this, a survey should be conducted to identify such buildings and stop the entry of people living in such buildings to avoid accidents.

Amarpreet Kaur

Inspect quality of construction material

Buildings collapsing and that too in the thick of the city is certainly not a joke. It is really condemnable since it involves not just the collapse of the building but the system as such. The role of regulatory authority is of utmost importance in preventing the building collapse. It is for the authorities to check beforehand that the contractors do not use sub-standard material and ascertain its quality. Public should be aware enough to understand the risk of living in distressed buildings and the hazards posed by the use of substandard materials. Strict regulations should be issued so that no contractor or builder dares to use the material below quality and risk precious lives. Violation on any part should entail strict legal action and permanent debarment.

Aftab Fateh Singh Bains

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