Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Low income housing and quality

As a building forensic analyst and repair specialist I have had the opportunity to visited cluster of buildings built in the last three decades in the heart of Mumbai. The oldest cluster of buildings is 30 years old while the youngest is only 6 years old. It is sad state of affairs if a building needs extensive repairs within its first 10 years of service-life. 


These structures are in such sorry state and need extensive repairs. Some of the older structures are unsafe to live and need to be evacuated as soon as possible. One of the structures was a fire station building, which also housed some firemen families on upper storeys of the building. These buildings are a part of housing scheme provided by the local government for families of men serving in the police force and fire brigade.  As I surveyed these buildings I also spoke to its occupants.  Residents had numerous complaints about the status of the building, some of which were self-evidentiary while others had to be pointed out.  Plumbing leakages through kitchen walls, chunks of concrete falling off slabs, corroding steel exposed from slabs and columns. One of the worst things to hear was about constant water dripping from upper storey bathrooms in to those living below effectively nullifying the purpose of having a bath for those living below. Families of serving officials living in such squalor was heart wrenching. None of us can live in such conditions and to expect people to live in such conditions and also do their duty protecting you is a crime. 

The agency in charge of maintenance claims that there aren’t sufficient funds to do the maintenance. Closer inspection of premises reveals to me that buildings are in dilapidated conditions due to low quality control and usage of cheap construction designs and practices. I am told since the housing was meant for lower rung officers and havaldars (read low income) low cost was maintained. Does low costing also mean low quality? Not necessarily. This is not just about corruption and reducing cost but also about how we perceive living standards for different sections of society. If the fire brigade does not turn up on time we are quick to call on their lacksidal attitude. Yesterday, as I left the premises there wasn’t much joy of having an assignment on my hands but a series of thoughts on how our perceptions of things based on economic class structure.