Chandivali building collapse opened up the Pandora’s box and give rise to the way we give importance to security of our housing societies. Unwanted alternations within the four walls of the original structure cause doom. This four storey structure could not bear weight of illegal alternations and the collapse was inevitable. Heavy rains for the last two days is another reason as old buildings could not withstand wet weather. The state government must think and act to save lives of people dying on this count and in view of the fact there are thousands of such buildings in Mumbai. Unauthorised shifting of beams within the building plan and done over and above the permissible limit is the root cause for all major building collapses in the city. It is indeed a very sad and shocking incident. My heart goes out to the families of the victim.
Nickil Akhilesh Krishnan
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
