23 July,2020 06:35 AM IST | Mumbai | The Editorial
Kakal building, located just two feet away from the partially collapsed Bhanushali in Fort. Pic/Bipin Kokate
Today, it will be a week since a building at Mint Road, Fort collapsed leading to at least 10 deaths. While that itself is a huge tragedy, a report in this paper also focused on residents of the neighbouring building who were evacuated for safety measures. These residents were on the road after the collapse. Safety is a priority, but it also is important that there must be a standard operating procedure in place when it comes to such incidents.
The evacuated residents spent two nights in offices and godowns as they had nowhere to go, and the COVID-19 situation meant no housing society was willing to let them in.
It was heart-wrenching to see old people, children, pregnant women struggling for accommodation. It is time we have a solid policy and action plan about old buildings in the city. These guidelines should cover not just old structures but take into account the entire eco-system and remember all affected. In this particular instance, there was simply no agency or individual who could guide the evacuated. There should have been some transit accommodation for them too, just until their building was deemed safe and they could re-enter.
Today, we react ad hoc to house collapses. Instead, the government needs policies, laws, guidelines which ensure that structural integrity of buildings is not compromised, severe penalties are levied on violators, mandatory repairs are done and that there is a set procedure in case of an unfortunate building collapse.
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A clear-cut roadmap under the state government means communication clarity and no passing the buck. Today, we cannot blame workers of different departments because there is absolute confusion and myopia while dealing with such incidents. An overarching, umbrella approach with one nodal agency in-charge is the need of the hour.
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