Another building collapsed in Chennai, India. What could be the causes of building collapse at such regular intervals in various Indian cities? Who is responsible for illegal and low quality construction? What can home buyers, municipal body, and builders do to stop illegal construction and low quality construction in India?

Author: Sachin Gupta | Find me on Twitter Follow @sach_gupta

June 28, 2014 was a disastrous day in Chennai. A 12-story building named ‘Trust Heights’ under construction collapsed in heavy rain in Moulivakkam, Porur. Officials confirmed that 14 people had died amid fears that the death toll could rise as many others remained trapped under the debris. Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa visited the site on Sunday, June 29, 2014 and ordered a thorough probe. Reason for building collapse has been cited as ‘structural defects’.

Police have arrested six people, including promoters and employees of ‘Trust Heights’ developer Prime Sristi Housing Pvt Ltd, Madurai, in connection with the collapse.

Well, this was Chennai. But this has been happening in the country for far too long and at far too many places. In recent months various buildings have collapsed in Thane, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, and host of other cities. Did anything change? Did local municipal bodies or town planning departments bring in new laws? Well, given the current state of inefficient and colluding bureaucracy, we can’t expect much from the babus.

What are the causes of buildings collapse at such regular interval across various Indian cities?

What could be the causes of building collapse at such regular intervals in various Indian cities? There are many theories going around and one among them is the use of sub-standard material in building construction. However, if one digs deep, then it can be safely said that most of these collapses happen because of corruption. It is now commonly believed that builders flout building codes by paying bribe to babus of governing authorities.

Take the case of Campa Cola compound in Mumbai where illegal floors were built in 1980s. The recent DLF case in Gurgaon is also a prime example of illegal construction. There are many such cases where builders and babus have colluded to maximize their gains. And there is no way that these people will care for the plight of common man and workers working on these building sites. Bottom-line of their balance sheet is what they are worried about. Well done!

Home buyers also overlook the construction quality part. Because of soaring real estate prices in metros, home buyers tend to buy whatever is served on their plate and thereby a compromise on construction quality is made. So, there is no bottom-up pressure on authorities and builders from the home buyers. And things continue to drift along like this. One building collapse here and one building collapse there…its ok, it happens. Phew…

Who will be penalized?

Well, now that, this builder in Chennai has been arrested, he and his associates may be penalized. But is this the solution? Will this penalty make sure that no such future mishaps happen? What could be done to eliminate such instances?

Solution:

We are not experts in building construction codes. We are just creating awareness through this article about the urgent need of overhaul of construction practices in India.

• Things that a home buyer can do:

1. It is impossible for an individual buyer to conduct construction quality check of a project he/she has invested in. However, when you buy an under construction home from the real estate developer, a few unannounced visits to the construction site will help you understand the quality of construction.
2. Ask for a copy of soil test report from the builder – Before construction, all builders will conduct soil test. You as a home buyer should be extrovert enough to ask for the soil test report. This soil test report will ensure that building is not standing on a shaky ground. Maybe poor soil condition could be the reason that this building in Chennai collapsed. So, insist on this report from your developer.
3. Ask for a certificate of concrete mix from your real estate developer. Strength of the concrete mix is extremely important to analyze because it will directly impact whether the building can withstand the structure load or not.
4. Visit the construction site and check the external wall thickness. The standard practice is to have 9 inches thick external wall.
5. As a buyer, you bought the apartment by looking at brochures, and sample flat. Make sure that amenities, fittings, and apartment specifications that are provided in brochures and sample flat are also included in the legal builder buyer agreement. During the construction stage, verify if things are going as per the agreement or not.

• Things that Authorities can do:

Well, an individual buyer can do very little in his/her capacity to check the construction quality of real estate projects. However, authorities have the wherewithal to completely eliminate low quality construction and illegal construction.

At the moment, what they do is simply issue the license based on the building plan given by the builder. If the plan meets their guidelines, a license is granted. And builder commences construction. Once the construction is complete, the authority will inspect the site and based on the observations of the completed building, a completion certificate is provided to the builder.

They do not do anything during the construction period. And that is where most of the things go wrong. That is where sub-standard material is used. That is where illegal floors are added up, etc., etc.

So what can authorities do during the construction stages?

Nominate third party private construction quality check agencies across the country. These private agencies with top civil, structural engineers shall enter into an agreement with builder and home buyers to carry out periodic construction quality check. The agency will update home buyers and authority on a regular basis about the quality adherence of a building. Who will pay to this professional and private agency? Home buyers can easily pay for the services of this agency.

Let’s take an example – A builder submits the building plan to Chennai development authority for developing a group housing society comprising of 600 housing units. Assuming that building plan adheres to the guidelines and a license is issued. Along with the license, the builder should be mandatorily asked by the authority to sign on a third party private agency for construction check. Even if the cost of services of such an agency is Rs 10 crore, it can be evenly distributed among all the home buyers. This third party agency with top talent in its rank can monitor the real estate project from foundation to completion, thereby ensuring peace of mind to every home buyer and workers working on that building project.

• Things that Builders can do:

With so many cases of illegal constructions, many people view ‘builders’ as thugs and corrupt. This may not be true; however, that is the perception. It is important for builders to stick to building codes and deliver on the promises that are made when selling an under construction flat.

Dear Builder, Please follow the construction guidelines ethically and unequivocally. Thanks!

This article is primarily written for creating awareness among home buyers, consultants, architects, builders, government authorities to seriously assess the current state of construction in India. We cannot afford to lose so many lives to such mishaps. We encourage comments from all stakeholders. One can also write on this issue and we will carry forward that message in our next columns.

Look forward to active participation.

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