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By:

Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Death Trap

The fire that tore through Delhi’s Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar, killing 21 persons, mostly foreign nationals, was the predictable consequence of a system that has made peace with illegality and administrative neglect. It is shameful that the building, that should never have been operating in its existing form, was allowed to function openly in the heart of India's capital. The details are horrifying. A guest house permitted to run only six rooms had allegedly expanded into a 25-room...

Death Trap

The fire that tore through Delhi’s Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar, killing 21 persons, mostly foreign nationals, was the predictable consequence of a system that has made peace with illegality and administrative neglect. It is shameful that the building, that should never have been operating in its existing form, was allowed to function openly in the heart of India's capital. The details are horrifying. A guest house permitted to run only six rooms had allegedly expanded into a 25-room establishment. Additional floors had been added without approval and rooms were reportedly created in the basement. The building allegedly lacked a mandatory fire safety clearance and had only a single entry and exit point. When smoke filled the staircase, the only viable escape route disappeared. Guests found themselves trapped in a veritable death chamber. The most disturbing question is not how the fire started but how such a building was allowed to exist for so long. No commercial establishment can function in a densely populated neighbourhood without interacting with multiple arms of government which include municipal authorities, licensing officials, fire inspectors and local administrators. The tragedy exposes the uncomfortable reality of urban India that regulations are enforced selectively and violations are normalised. Predictable responses have followed the tragedy. The owner has been arrested and magisterial inquiries have been announced while the government has ordered inspection drives. Such rituals of governance have become as routine as the tragedies themselves. Similar scripts had followed previous tragedies across the country, be it in Delhi or Kolkata or any of the countless building collapses in Mumbai. Every disaster produces outrage and a report which is quietly forgotten until the next catastrophe arrives. India suffers not from a shortage of regulations but from a chronic deficit of enforcement. While fire safety rules and building codes exist, what is missing is the political will to ensure compliance before tragedy strikes. Illegal constructions flourish because they are profitable and regulatory violations persist because of the same reason. Negligence in such cases ceases to be an administrative failure and becomes a form of complicity. The month-long inspection drive ordered by Delhi’s authorities as a reactive measure to the hotel fire is insufficient to say the least. The city does not need temporary crackdowns triggered by public outrage. It needs permanent vigilance. Every hotel, guest house, coaching centre, nursing home and commercial establishment operating in violation of safety norms must face immediate closure. Officials who ignored repeated violations should be identified and punished alongside private operators who profited from them. The dead of Malviya Nagar deserve more than condolences and compensation. They deserve a reckoning with the culture of impunity that turned a modest guest house into a lethal trap.

Bad Roads, Ugly Politics


The pathetic state of roads in Mumbai city as well as its suburbs has made daily commute a dangerous affair. The residents are miffed with the BMC over its lackadaisical attitude. Mumbaikars tweet photos, post videos to grab attention, but everything is in vain. Who cares for the common people. Backbreaking journeys have become part and parcel of life. Political leaders are busy mud-slinging.


This year the monsoon took a break after almost four and half months. During this time some of the roads virtually became non commutable. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde first announced to make Mumbai roads pothole free.


Its almost two years now the BMC has concretised only 9 percent of roads it planned to concretise. This decision was taken when it came to light that due to the properties of bitumen in asphalt roads, potholes are a regular occurrence due to contact with water during monsoons.


Hence, to solve the problem of potholes, the corporation has adopted a policy of cement concreting of 6-meter-wide roads in phases. The decision was taken but the dilly-dallying affair made things more difficult.


Mumbai’s traffic does put a lot of strain on roads which is not the case in the other developed countries. Second most important aspect is concretisation of roads is done partly and in phases.


The worst problem which is faced is repeated digging for cables and drainage, which weakens the roads. Above all corruption in BMC makes matters worse as a result everything comes to grinding halt.


According to experts, repairing potholes is a reaction with symptomatic treatment. By and large we are dispensing superficial treatment without addressing the root cause. The long-term solution will be to have roads with no potholes but what we need is the means and technology to achieve this. But for this political will is necessary which we lack on every step.


Mumbaikar’s are convience that corruption in the municipal corporation is the main reason. Contractors have had a monopoly over the last 20 years and this is the reason why reputed companies never come ahead for these projects.


As a result, in the name of attendance and repair, the BMC does shoddy work. Crores are spent but the end result is nothing. The BMC is not paying attention to the crust. If the crust is weak, potholes will see an increase. Without any thought or technical know-how, potholes are filled with cold mix.


This is the reason why the city and suburbs continue to have craters on the roads.


Craters, a serious threat to the safety and security of people. Mumbaikars fade up from their repeated visits to orthopedic surgeons.


They are in a mood to teach a proper lesson to those who were at the helm of the affairs.

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