The fall of a KondhwaBudruk building's retaining wall, which left 15 workers dead, makes auditing such structures a must, which is rarely accomplished.
While structural audits are in place for buildings, there is none for compound or retaining walls, putting such structures at risk, especially during the monsoon, state planners said.
When contacted, T C Benjamin, former additional chief secretary of urban development, said there was a need for the local authority to clear such constructions. In the case of the KondhwaBudruk building, it must be checked whether due checks were carried out by the local authority at the time the wall was completed.
In a district such as Pune with buildings on irregular soil, it becomes essential to verify the stability of such structures. Not just these walla, all buildings should be inspected and evaluated to avoid such tragedies, he said.
Benjamin said the collapse of the Kondhwa wall must have occurred as rainwater may have accumulated. Such structures should have profound holes to allow the water to flow out, he added.
Former town planner RamchandraGohad said that although there was no structural audit of compound walls undertaken by developers, it was the local authority's responsibility to perform these controls.
"A compound wall for 6-foot constructions should be at least 11 inches thick. There should be appropriate concretion and the local authority should take accountability if it is not achieved," Gohad said.
Structural audit is mandatory for any housing society if the age of the building is 15-30 years. The audit should be conducted once in five years and should be conducted once in three years for constructions over the age of 30 years.
"Societies should also maintain close watch on any construction structural repair works, including cracks in any construction," a town planner said.
Experts said during heavy showers, structures such as compound walls built on hilly slopes usually cave in as there is not much attention provided to the material used in their building.
"Water retention weakens the wall and such buildings are never given due attention. Such buildings should be properly monitored while issuing sanctions, ' a developer said.
Courtesy/By: Kabir Jaiswal
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01 Jul 2019
