Majhar Mannan :
In recent times, there have been incidents of buildings collapsing including the capital. Unplanned and unregulated buildings are occasionally damaged and tilted in different parts of the country causing loss of life and property. Many buildings are tilting without any major earthquakes, natural disasters or landslides and these issues are now creating a kind of panic among the people.
Especially in the capital, the number of building collapses has increased in the country recently.
However, most investigations into the building collapses or tilting incidents so far have revealed that none of them were built properly.
High-rise buildings are being built everywhere by filling ditches or ponds without heeding any rules and regulations, which is increasing the risk of life and the risk of building collapses. When a building collapses without an earthquake or a major natural disaster, it is easy to imagine what kind of catastrophic situation an earthquake would cause. The Rana Plaza collapse in Savar is a great proof of the fact that the building was constructed in a faulty way and that it was out of design. Experts say there is a possibility of a major earthquake and that a large number of buildings in Dhaka city are likely to collapse due to such an earthquake and there is also a possibility of loss of life.
Experts said that the collapse of the building is due to the use of weak rods and bricks and other materials. Analysts believe that this is due to the fact that all the buildings that have been constructed by filling the reservoirs are not being properly piloted or are not being properly supervised. If the building is constructed according to the design and proper rules and if the soil test and piling are in order, there is no chance to tilt of the building. There have been frequent earthquakes in recent times and there is a kind of fear in everyone’s mind and a big earthquake can destroy the city of Dhaka, so in order to build a building, the correct rules and legal designs must be followed. Building construction techniques and types should be changed to prevent collapse and tilting and at the same time maximum construction precautions should be taken. The design of RAJUK is often at odds with the multi-storey buildings in the capital, and in most cases, these buildings have been built with the help of corruption. RAJUK approves design for the construction of buildings in the capital and it is the responsibility of RAJUK to monitor the buildings. A question often arises as to how such illegal construction of buildings is taking place in front of RAJUK’s eyes. RAJUK takes care of all the issues related to the construction of buildings, so if any building is ever constructed outside the rules of RAJUK, strict legal action can be taken against it, but in that case also opacity is seen.
Many believe, with nexus of corrupt officials in RAJUK, many buildings have been constructed improperly and in this case RAJUK should have taken strict action against all the buildings. RAJUK has an inspection team to monitor whether the buildings in the capital are being constructed properly and if any building is constructed disobeying rules, RAJUK cannot avoid that responsibility. If there is any negligence in the construction of the building, RAJUK will look into it and in that case it has the power to take appropriate action. If RAJUK is strict in approving and designing buildings, it is not possible for anyone to continue building outside these rules. Due to unplanned construction of buildings everywhere, Dhaka city has already become uninhabitable and unwise construction has created congested environment and unhealthy environment.
We urge the authority, the risky buildings that are currently in the capital should be identified and demolished very soon or some other measures should be taken. Transparency and accountability must be ensured in the construction of buildings in the capital, otherwise such arbitrary construction will bring danger. It is also necessary to thoroughly investigate whether there is any corruption in the approval and design of a building and take appropriate action. Unplanned construction often results in narrowing of the roads and in the event of an accident or fire, fire brigade vehicles are unable to reach the area in time. RAJUK must increase strict surveillance and take legal action so that no one can illegally construct buildings by filling ponds and canals. If necessary, RAJUK should take immediate steps to demolish the building.
The canals around Dhaka city were used as natural reservoirs but most of them have now been occupied and there is constant waterlogging in Dhaka city due to unwise construction and Infrastructure. A lot more buildings have already been built than the size of Dhaka city and the soil of Dhaka city is unable to bear the overload so RAJUK must take utmost care in approving the building.
(Majhar Mannan is Assistant Professor, B A F Shaheen College Kurmitola, Dhaka Cantonment).
