Charge Officials Issuing Illegal Building License and NOT Home Owners

Charge Officials Issuing Illegal Building License and NOT Home Owners

Mangaluru: Even if you agree with me or not, one of the hazardous and safety risks in many of the apartments in the city are balconies especially with young children in the family. Sources reveal that around 40% of the children/toddler deaths all over India occur due to an unsafe balcony such as a gap between railings, leaping from balcony, suffocation, falling from balconies or windows etc. Even though we haven’t heard any such incidents in Mangaluru, until recently when 5 1/2-year-old girl Shannel D’Souza died, due to a low balcony grill, after she lost balance on it and fell off from the 8th floor in the Classic Sapphire Apartments in Shakthinagar, Mangaluru.

Surprisingly to make their job easy, the police booked a case against flat owner Veena Saldanha and general power of attorney holder Valerian Monteiro on charges of negligence for not putting up full-length grills on the balcony. The apartment in which Shannel’s parents Wilson and Alitha D’Souza were living was rented from these people. But why book or arrest these folks? If they have found that the grills were not high enough, isn’t it the job of the builder – and for that matter – the duty of the concerned authorities to inspect the building before occupancy license is given?

But that never happens in many of the apartment cases in Mangaluru. The building approval or occupancy license is given by the officials at MCC by sitting on their chairs in their cabins, and not even bothering to inspect the building site thoroughly before signing the papers. Isn’t it the job of the builder to see that safety is the priority of the residents? In Shannel’s case, the builder/contractor, and for the fact, the licence issuing officer, should be charged for their negligence in checking for the safety grills on the balcony. Then why was the case booked on innocent?

Even though the builder may say that the grills were quite high and safe enough, it should have also been the concern of the apartment occupants. When a small child is living with them in that apartment, they could have taken with extra precautions for the balcony, like many apartment owners do in the city. But the problem with quite a few builders these days is their quest of giving buildings a new and attractive look. Sleek and fancy railings used in balconies may give a good and modern look to the apartment but do very less for the safety of the people residing in it. In many apartments, the gap in the railings is wide enough for kids to slip through. As the number of accidents of children falling through balconies is increasing, the worries of people living in high-rise buildings are also increasing. They are anxious to childproof their balconies, but many delay it due to the cost involved. Isn’t it the duty of the builder or the building license issuing officer to look into the safety features of these balcony railings?

These days since the high cost of buying a plot and building a house is quite impossible, people with no other choice opt for apartments, even though they are not happy. There are the highs and lows living in apartments. The highs include benefits such as low maintenance, easy, compact living, and they’re often more affordable than houses. On the other hand, for a growing family living in an apartment is not without its small challenges. Heaving everyone and everything up the stairs, for instance, plus negotiating a shared laundry/drying area with neighbours and protocols on who can use what, when. It is also harder to have pets in an apartment, and there’s the all-important issue of child safety with stairs, elevated windows and balconies, and the hazards of communal driveways.

Some of the builders and developers in the city are giving in to aesthetics and ignoring the building code for residential and commercial buildings. Despite some fatal accidents, the railings fixed in the balconies of most apartments are lower than the prescribed height. With this incident of a young girl who died after falling from the balcony, will it bring any changes? I very much doubt about it. Sources reveal that the height of a railing in a balcony, lobby or roof-top to be 1.05 metres (3.44 feet) from the floor level. But in most cases, the builders ignore this and place a few metal rods instead of a concrete wall to make it look attractive. Some do so to cut the costs. The height of railings in balconies in most buildings are low, which can be risky. In that case, action has been taken against some people ignoring the building codes, but this has not deterred the builders.

An engineer speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “Most of the builders keep the height of the balcony railings a little low and use metal rods instead of concrete railings. These are dangerous especially for children. Metal railings have gaps making it easier for children to climb up or slip down through the gaps. It is dangerous for elders also as metal railings that are lower in height can lead to an accidental fall. Safety should be the prime concern during the construction of any building, but unfortunately at present focus is on aesthetics. People are only concerned about the looks and ignore safety aspects, either due to lack of awareness or otherwise.”

A builder, however, denied the allegations about violation of norms and said that falling off from the balcony is just an accident and it has nothing to do with the building. “Builders of the city are abiding by the rules of the national building code for the height of railing and we even put an additional rod above the railings in high rise buildings,” he said. It is learnt that violation of the code attracts notice under section 302 of the MP Municipal Corporation Act – If the builder fails to give a satisfactory explanation then the building can be declared illegal and action including removal of the said portion of the building can be carried out.

But it seems like people living in apartments are more concerned about their own safety and NOT the safety of their children. These fancy steel railings possess a great danger of falling through for small children. Since we have an accident where a young life is lost, all apartment owners, having small children living with you, should consider doing the following if you feel that your balcony railing/grills are not safe enough, like many apartment owners in the city have done already:

– Wire mesh can be installed across the railing of the balcony to prevent entrapment and fall. They are flexible and long lasting. They look good and provide proper safety.

– You can use the grills to cover all your balconies and make it safe. You cannot put grills on your own as it requires welding. They are permanent solutions for your children’s safety.

– Plexiglas can also be used as a permanent solution for making the railings of your balcony safe. Plexiglas is a transparent, attractive and durable shield which does not spoil the looks of your balcony.

– You can put additional vertical slats and spindles to cover the gap between railings so that your children cannot pass through the railings. This will make your balcony’s railings childproof.

– Old cardboard can be used as a temporary solution to cover the railings of your balconies. You can secure cardboards with the help of plastic wires. Don’t let wires hang loosely as that can be unsafe for your children.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY STAY IN YOUR APARTMENT. KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR CHILDREN STEPPING OUT ON THE BALCONY.

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