Falling walls: On building collapses
A recent building collapse in Bhiwandi, which killed 10 people, highlights systemic failures in urban maintenance and enforcement of safety regulations. The piece argues that India's infrastructure management is reactive rather than proactive, leading to recurring tragedies in densely populated areas.
Why it matters
It addresses the critical issue of urban safety, administrative negligence, and the lack of affordable housing for migrant populations in India.
In September 2020, the Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra placed the Kohinoor building on its ‘danger’ list around the same time the Jilani building collapsed a few kilometres away, killing 41. Six years on, and hours after officials declared the Kohinoor to be unsafe again and evacuated around 40 residents, it collapsed, killing 10. In the half decade in between, the owners had refused to vacate or redevelop the property and instead undertook unauthorised repairs. While the fall of the Jilani building, which was old but not on a ‘dangerous’ list, was a failure of anticipation, that of the Kohinoor building, on such a list and which fell mid-repairs, implies a failure of enforcement. Yet, the State responded similarly in both instances, by suspending officials in 2020 and filing a criminal case against the contractor now.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in