Realty Bites: TN lacks quality checks on buildings

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

After the Moulivakkam building collapse last year, questions have been
raised over whether the state has quality checks over constructions
that is taking place.



Surprisingly, the state lacks a proper mechanism to ensure the
buildings are being built as per the required parameters. This has put
the buyers or flat owners or tenants at the mercy of developers.



Interestingly, while there is much hue and cry over the rise in the
number of unauthorised constructions that violate the development
regulations, the state has never given much thought to monitor the
quality of construction stage by stage.



A former chief planner of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority N
V Raghunath states that there was a recommendation by the Public Works
Department Committee headed by a chief engineer to have regular
certification of the work being carried out at construction sites.



But this report was never implemented, says Raghunath. He states that
there was a recommendation for stage continuous certification of a
building while under construction. “This include basement level
certification (profile of building as per plan column size), ground
floor certification, terrce leel certification and interior
certification,” said Raghunath.



Surprisingly, while the focus is now more on ensuring stringent
quality checks on the buildings already constructed, there has been no
checks on the constructions that exist. The issue of unsafe structures
in Georgetown has already been highlighted by George Town All
Merchants Welfare Association, who have demanded that all the
dilapidated buildings that are unsafe and on the verge of collapse
should be razed.



But there has been no action on this aspect by either CMDA or Chennai
Corporation officials. Even the government buildings are unsafe. A
technical committee has identified 34,000 tenements built by Tamil
Nadu Slum Clearance Board as unsafe for dwelling.



Interestingly, the lifespan of these buildings are estimated to be 70
years but many of them have become weak before its lifespan.

Sources said the tenements have also become structurally weak and the
rods in the slabs are corroded due to saline action posing danger to
the lives and properties of the inmates of the tenements.



Surprisingly, TNSCB does not have resources of its own to meet the
capital cost of reconstruction of dilapidated tenements. Independent
researcher Vanessa Peter says that the fault lies with state failing
to come out with its own housing policy. “We have only policy note
where as many states have their own housing policy. We also lack
quality control mechanism on how a housing project should be for
economically weaker sections,” she said while highlighting a need for
strong guideline and a lifespan for the structures built for poor.



Even the state housing board buildings have a shorter lifespan. There
are plans to demolish more than 2,000 dilapidated flats of Tamil nadu
Government Rental Housing Flats in 17 places of the city and construct
new ones.



But the biggest issue comes when a building collapses. There is no one
to take responsibility, says a former engineer on condition of
anonymity. Take the case of apartment complex in Manali New Town where
a woman died and two children were injured.



This building was constructed in the 80s but continues to be in such a
poor state. The building was constructed by Tamil Nadu Housing Board
and handed over to Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority but both
the agencies have refused to take the blame. A senior CMDA official
then has blamed the owner. “The building was constructed in the 80s
and since the last

30 years no repair work has been undertaken,” he stated.



While there is lack of regulatory mechanism, private developers are
suggesting certification by an independent vetting consultant. The
guideline were evolved by the city developers to ensure safety of
buildings following the Moulivakkam tragedy.



However, it is too early to say whether the third party vetting
consultant, to validate the structural design and soil test done for
multi-storied buildings as well as commercial buildings over one lakh
square feet, could be accommodated by CMDA in its development
regulations. However, if the self-regulation fails then who is to take
the blame. Already, buyers who have invested in Moulivakkam buildings
have burnt their fingers and there is no compensation mechanism and
they don’t know whom to approach or who will bail them out of such
crisis.

It is time for the state to pull up its socks to evolve guidelines to
solve such issues or else realty will bite!