Regular structural audits a must for all buildings

No one was injured when pieces of false ceiling fell off on Monday

Parts of a false inclined ceiling in an academic wing of IIT Bombay broke and fell recently, a report in this paper said. Nobody was injured as the space was empty when it happened. It did though spark safety concerns amongst students.

The institute did allay fears stating it was a one-off incident caused by heavy rain and the area has been cordoned off for repairs. Yet, it is important that there be regular structural audits done of various spaces in the building. It is also ironical that the premier institute that does structural audits of different buildings in the city, has had what the authorities call a minor incident.

This is not to be alarmist but the engineering college with its formidable reputation may need to conduct regular inspections on its premises. This paper has also followed up on the cow menace on the campus, where the animals are straying into the premises. While the college has set up a committee to tackle this, this too may seem innocuous at first read but can be the cause of injury or a dangerous situation.

We cannot wait for inspections to any structure. This is true of every building in the city. Regular repairs, upgradation, strengthening of structures, less infighting about audits and passing the buck is the way forward when it comes to buildings in the city. Citizens have suffered because of wastage of time and a tendency to take important
things lightly.

Through this season, we have seen educational, residential and commercial buildings caving in, or certain parts collapsing because of heavy rain. Let us learn our lessons and take this very seriously. The IIT must lead by example to show how proactive steps can be taken and alacrity shown to respond to any and every crisis, however small it may seem.

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