HIGH RISE HIGH RISKS

Rapid urbanization has ushered inevitable vertical growth. The building found new prestige in heights. Sky scrapper word was introduced in pre independence time. Heights of yesterday were dwarfed today and heights of today are destined to be dwarfed tomorrow. High rise of building is not restricted to metropolitan cities like Mumbai but are to be found every where, state capitals, commercial capitals, and all other big and small cities. Not restricted to commercial core of the cities but also to be found at far and wide ends of cities as well. Generally heights of the buildings are considered as pointer of advancement in technology.

Fine and take as much as back slapping for that as will satisfy you. But also pay heed to the peculiar problems related to high rise concentration.

1 A frame of mind that is cut of from the ground. Grounds are consigned to basements, parking, pavements, traffic, services etc. All man made and no place left for natural feel of the earth. Even the plantation is surreal. Quite naturally the occupants consider the soil as something coming from the Mars.

2 The Lifts are real hazards for which neither mind set nor equipment is geared up. License to operate lifts exist in law book. Usually license arrives before lifts. That is to begin with. Later inspections leave much to be desired. Stranding of the lift vehicle between floor is the only hazard but Snapping of ropes, opening of shaft doors before arrival lift vehicle, electronic controls going hay wire are some of new hazards now coming to the light. Maintenance of lifts regularly is as much essential as training the occupants for correct use of lifts is. Then we will have accidents in the lift shaft causing grave injuries and occasional loss of life can be controlled.

3 The fire fighting system is not usually competent to face the mishap. Lacunae are to be found right from the stage of design and installation of fire fighting system. Static tanks are not of sufficient size and allowed to dry up, Pumps are never tested periodically. Mock drill is never heard of. Escape routes are plugged due to fear of burglary. Training is so much lacking that even fire main who are supposed to stop and ground the lifts use them to go up and loose their lives.

4 All RCC and especially high rise buildings do not behave as good as low height low rise buildings during earth quake. No doubt code exists for earth quake proof design ( which itself is misnomer) but that gives vague guarantee of only limited shocks. A collapse of high rise building is potential danger to other structures in close vicinity.

5 Longevity of high rise technology is yet to be proved. Repairs are virtually non available. The failure and collapse is bound to be sudden causing ten times greater risks of lives than load bearing structures.
It is only hoped that the city planners are coming out of planners only frame of mind and addressing themselves to keep well factor of development that is already taken and is rapidly taking. .

Arvind Khare
Khare_am@yahoo.com
9820701210