Each resident of a building is responsible for its safety

Part of the gallery collapsed on Pramod Yadav, the security guard of the building in Santacruz West, killing him. Pic/Atul Kamble

An internal structural audit of a building brought forth the findings as dangerous yet, there was no action and the result is that a life has been lost because part of a balcony has collapsed on a security guard.

A report said this tragic incident has taken place in Santacruz in a building which is 55 years old and houses flats, shops and a nursing home. In context, a security guard was sitting near a gate of the society as part of his duty when a wall of the nursing home balcony fell on his head. He was declared dead on arrival at a hospital. A report stated that a 2017 audit termed the state of the building as precarious and unsafe for human habitation. Measures had to be taken to strengthen the building.

One person claimed that the society did not move on repairs to the building. Society officials did not comment. It is now evident that somebody starts moving when audits term buildings as precarious. Members, which means all those living there and establishment owners too, must get together and start working towards repairs, bringing pressure on the society committee to do so, and escalating the matter if there is no response.

We see arguments and counter arguments in several buildings, members in deadlock over repairs and endless acrimony, and we are not talking about this building but the larger picture, and precious time is frittered away. At other times, there is endless procrastination. One has to say though that every flat owner must pitch in and not pile everything at a society committee office-bearer's door. The office-bearers and committee persons must be flexible and reasonable to allow all to participate and take help when it is logical. This is the state of many other buildings in the metro and quick action is the absolute, imperative need of the hour.