The Hindu : Kerala News : Need for proper planning, implementation of rules Radical solution

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Sunday, Dec 17, 2006
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Kerala

Kerala

Need for proper planning, implementation of rules Radical solution

Urban centres in Kerala are witnessing a real estate boom. The apartment culture is growing. High-rises that create large concentrations of people inevitably have an impact on neighbouring areas in terms of water resources, waste generation, drainage and so on. Are the existing rules and regulations adequate to ensure a fair deal to all concerned? Our readers respond:

Radical solution

Since even before high-rises started mushrooming, pressure on the environment was considerable; rules and laws may have little scope or space to be immediately effective.

Whatever the type of the ongoing property development - apartments, hotels, software parks - they cater predominantly to the affluent middle-class capable of paying for services at par. Therefore, a long-term, yet costlier and radical solution may be appropriate.

A special infrastructure authority, catering exclusively to these developments, should `outsource' utilities - power (generation and distribution), water (sourcing and treatment) and sewerage, off-shore, through a string of platforms on barges, moored particularly near estuaries dotting the coast, along which are most of the urban centres.

Energy and water so sourced and purified, the former from sun, wind and tide, should be transported through flexible submarine piping/cabling, and on-shore, through dedicated grids/networks to the target properties.

In the reverse direction, garbage and sewage, duly processed, should pass for disposal in the sea. Improved road networks, imaginatively reoriented in different dimensions (over and underpasses) are another innovation which will help the situation.

Devraj Sambasivan

Alappuzha

Enforce rules

Purchase of marshy or even cultivable land from tenants at petty prices and construction of high-rises after reclamation yields exorbitant returns. The vested interests behind the business are not concerned about the adverse impact on the neighbouring areas and the people.

Large concentration of people in the high-rises results in dearth of water. Continuous use of water in large quantities leads to depletion of ground water.

It also disrupts the drainage system, which causes environmental pollution and unhygienic living conditions. Dumping of waste in the open or in water bodies is another problem which leads to contamination of water. Enforcement of the existing rules and regulations in letter and spirit is the need of the hour. Filling of land for construction of apartments should not be allowed, except when it is done on the basis of proper planning. The authorities should ensure that waste disposal is carried out scientifically using incinerators wherever necessary and the drainage system is properly maintained. Those who violate the stipulations should be severely punished.

V. Viswanathan Nambiar

Thrissur

Make rules tough

Apartments are mushrooming in every nook and corner of the city. The people seem to be so enamoured of their high quality lifestyle that they do not have the time or the interest in addressing the problems of drainage and sanitation in their surroundings.

All high-rise buildings are not built according to the existing rules and regulations, especially regarding water tanks, sewage tanks and other sanitation facilities.

The drainage systems in apartment complexes should be planned in such a manner that it does not inconvenience those living in the neighbourhood. Environment friendly construction techniques should be adopted.

The corporation/municipality should appoint a separate body to sanction the constructions of buildings which have more than three storeys so that the builders do not indulge in malpractices. Corruption is prevalent in this sector. Hence, the Vigilance Department should ensure that illegal constructions are not encouraged.

Krishna K

Maradu

Limit their height

High-rises are an inevitable consequence of urbanisation. Each of these structures accommodates hundreds of families. The number of occupants of a few such buildings is almost the same as the number of inhabitants of a village. If the area of the compound does not increase in proportion to the height of the skyscraper, the inmates of the building do not get enough standing space. This is avoidable congestion. This causes contamination of the air they breath in a given area. Waste disposal, sanitary plumbing and supply of pure and potable water become serious problems in the long run. The builders are often businessmen whose interest is only profit. Limiting the height of a building to an optimum level is not their concern. In western countries, there are structures as tall as 1,500 m. A blind imitation of the West is dangerous here. City centres are already congested. Tall structures need piles deep enough to support them. Indiscriminate piling in any area is dangerous to the locality because in the long run they act like shafts in mines, disrupting ground water level.

Taking into consideration the safety of flat dwellers and the nature of the terrain, a limit regarding the height of residential apartments must be set by the Government.

K. Ramdas

Haripad

Provide facilities

The density of population is already high in our State. It will increase manifold if more housing schemes are planned and multi-storeyed buildings constructed.

However, construction of new projects is inevitable owing to rising demand, besides NRI investments in real estate.

The space and facilities available at present are grossly insufficient even for garbage disposal and sanitation of existing housing colonies. Uncontrolled growth of high-rises will lead to serious problems, including health-related ones.

Multi-storeyed buildings are coming up far beyond the suburban limits of cities and garbage disposal and sanitation are not being paid adequate attention to by the authorities.

Similarly, a workable system of sewage disposal should be initiated, especially in low-lying areas where the conventional system of septic tanks is not very effective.

Capt. O.B. Nair

Poonithura

Ensure compliance

Construction of high-rises has become big business in Kochi.

With various development projects planned, the land cost has multiplied many times over in the past two-three years. This has led to construction of apartments, as the plinth area of flats and single houses is more or less the same, but at the same time, hundreds of houses can be accommodated in one apartment complex.

The residents' associations have time and again objected to the corporation and the municipality giving building construction approvals without ensuring compliance with minimum formalities and requirements such as water, electricity, waste disposal, car parking, road frontage, environmental aspects, rooftop water facility and so on.

Some builders get approvals without even submitting the required documents and start construction by collecting huge sums from the public (offering flats after construction). The corporation/municipality should give the occupancy certificate only after these basic amenities are met by the builders.

Construction of flats requires large quantities of water and residential areas nearby face serious water scarcity on account of this. Some builders hand over to the people flats which lack facilities for water, power and garbage disposal.

S.N. Thiruvazhiode

Poonithura

Implement rules

It is apparent that the number of people moving from the countryside to the urban centres is increasing by the day. The existing population is affected badly in terms of pollution, waste generation and drainage as a result of this migration. Steps should be taken to enforce the existing rules and regulations in a proper manner during the construction of big apartments, shopping malls and so on. What is happening now is negligence on the part of authorities while sanctioning such constructions.

Shawn Joseph V. J

Thrissur

Need for a vision

It is true that for sustainable growth, it is necessary to have infrastructure development also due to various beneficial components inherently involved in it. The construction industry helps create employment opportunities to a large extentHowever, the other side of the coin seems to be dark as well as gloomy.

First and foremost, there is no orderly growth keeping an equilibrium. The urbanisation process is taking place without any vision and long-term strategic planning or legal control. Most of the high-rises are built in flagrant violation of the Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994, the National Building Code and the Kerala Municipality Buildings Rules, 1999. There are mandatory provisions for rain harvesting devices, parking space, fire fighting areas, floor area ratio and solid waste management but these remain on paper. Many builders do not bother to display the permit details although required to do so.

Ultimately, the people suffer owing to shortage of drinking water, poor electricity supply, traffic congestion and absence of a healthy environment to live in. We need a concrete vision, long-term strategic planning and a political will for the strict enforcement of rules and regulations.

K. Radhakrishnan Nair

Kochi

Check graft

In the olden days, there were only small houses on large tracts of land. There was no problem of drainage, waste, water or electricity. Nowadays, especially in urban areas, houses are built on three or four cents of land and apartment complexes comprising 100 or 200 houses on 15 or 20 cents. The real estate mafia and builders arrange for licences and approvals from the corporations and the municipalities by giving all kinds of undertakings regarding water, electricity, drainage, parking, waste disposal facilities. But after moving into the flats, it is the occupants who have to arrange for these basic amenities.

Before granting approval to such buildings, the authorities should ensure that the builders stick to their promises. If not, approval should not be granted. Corruption in the granting of sanctions and approvals should be checked.

P. Sankaranarayanan

Kochi

Alappuzha

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