The question surmounts every ones mind that whether shall we buy a high raise apartment in Bangalore. The recent collapse of the the 14 storey apartment which was under construction from Prestige Shantiniketan.Definitely hammers the people who are about to buy a dream class apartments like Mantri,Greengage,Concorde apartments etc.
Already people who invested in such a high raise
buildings cant imagine this type of disaster. The apartments were selling at a rate 3700Rs/sqft.The apartment cost would be a minimum of 50lacs and plus.
The people who had invested their hard earned money to buy this kind of apartment. Just imagine it is not the question of the money they have invested, any way the insurance companies will compensate for the damage, it is the life and safety of the people who buys the flat. If such stray incidents happen if after people occupies the flat what will happen?
“Excerpts from Hindu dt 24/10/2008”
The block which collapsed is part of the 20 blocks under construction by Prestige in a joint venture with Shantiniketan. The top floor slab which collapsed first was laid only a few days ago.
"The police told The Hindu that the accident occurred around 5 p.m. when a small portion of the top floor collapsed resulting in the slab of the floor below it collapsing in a short while. Owing to sheer weight, the slabs of the lower floors collapsed subsequently, all in a span of 50 minutes, although the embedded steel rods prevented the slabs from falling in a heap. "
"According to an eyewitness, around 4.50 p.m., the slabs of the building started to collapse. Then there were around 120 people, including women and children. “Immediately after the incident, the workers at the construction site had left. Very soon they were sent to isolated places in a few trucks.”
“A Few officers, perhaps from the contractors side, had shifted all the workers to some other location immediately. They instructed the security guard and other workers at the construction site not to answer the media or the police,” he said.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has taken a serious note of the accident. Directions have been issued to stop construction pending an inquiry. “
There are some question arises in our mind which is obvious for a common man:
- Even if they cite as an accident how the entire building collapse due to the fall of a slab?
- Why the safety measures have not been followed while construction?
- Is there any impact analysis done for the concrete structures and floors?
- Is there any governmental mechanism to track the structural stability of such high raise building?
- Already many high raise apartments occupied by the people Are those people are at risk or whether the government will take some initiative on this to see the stability of such buildings constructed and under construction?
- What is the criteria when the governmental agencies giving nod for such a high raise building considering the seismic parameters of Bangalore.
- Will the governmental agency is awake and whether the adequate safety is been taken care in the construction sites?
Now it is not the time to ignore this as another incident recently a flyover bridge collapsed in Delhi. This kind of incidents can not be ignored and openly throws the light the tracking mechanism is improper which applies to every one including the poor buyer.
I think it is the right time for people to throw away their myth or assumption with just builders of reputation will be of always of good quality .As per murphy’s law If worst think has to happen it has to happen and to to any one .Proved to us already by the disaster of Lehman brothers.(158 year old company).
Just imagine the position of the people who have invested their most part of their life’s savings to buy this kind of apartments. Already the global environment and the stock markets are giving shocking news for an average middle class investor. Again this would not rub on the wound , atleast government should be considerate and safeguard the interest of the middle class people..
