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Correspondent

21 August 2024 at 3:50:16 pm

Paper Towers

The collapse of the Delhi hostel which has left six people dead and several more injured brings into sharp relief the dangerous disconnect between what is sanctioned and what is actually built in Indian cities. The structure was reportedly sanctioned only up to ground-plus-one, yet had grown to five storeys and was being used as a densely occupied student hostel. While the investigation will establish whether the basement alterations, weakened pillars, waterlogging or some other structural...

Paper Towers

The collapse of the Delhi hostel which has left six people dead and several more injured brings into sharp relief the dangerous disconnect between what is sanctioned and what is actually built in Indian cities. The structure was reportedly sanctioned only up to ground-plus-one, yet had grown to five storeys and was being used as a densely occupied student hostel. While the investigation will establish whether the basement alterations, weakened pillars, waterlogging or some other structural failure caused the building to give way, the circumstances already raise a more uncomfortable question: how does a building apparently approved for two floors become a five-storey hostel without the system noticing? Delhi’s student neighbourhoods have developed a voracious market for cheap accommodation, and where demand rises faster than regulated housing, buildings acquire floors, rooms and tenants with remarkable speed. A residential property becomes a paying guest facility; a basement becomes usable space; another floor appears; more beds are squeezed in. The paperwork, if it exists at all, struggles to keep pace with the construction. There is no reason to assume that this is uniquely Delhi’s problem. Pune’s student districts, Bengaluru’s rental corridors, Mumbai’s crowded suburbs and other education and employment hubs face the same pressures. Wherever land is scarce, rents are high and demand for accommodation is relentless, the temptation to build beyond what was sanctioned is immense. The danger is obvious. A building designed for one purpose and a particular structural load cannot indefinitely be treated as a piece of elastic real estate. Adding floors, altering columns, excavating beneath an existing structure or cramming dozens of occupants into a building designed for far fewer people is not renovation. It is gambling with lives. Yet India’s municipal systems too often seem to discover illegal construction only after something has collapsed. The response is then predictable: an FIR, inspections, sealing drives and promises that officials found negligent will be punished. Delhi has already ordered inspections of nearby paying guest accommodations and buildings with fifth floors. Such action is welcome. It is also painfully late. The real test is not how efficiently the authorities clear the rubble. It is whether they can prevent the next building from becoming rubble. The country needs more than inspection drives. It needs municipal bodies capable of knowing what is being built in their jurisdictions, enforcing sanctioned plans before violations become permanent and making officials answerable when obvious breaches are ignored. A city’s housing shortage cannot be solved by allowing unsafe buildings to multiply. Nor can affordable accommodation be secured by making students the unwitting occupants of structural experiments. Satya Niketan has exposed a dangerous gap between the buildings cities need and the buildings their regulations can safely accommodate. If that gap is not closed, the next collapse may simply have a different pin code.

Rahi eyes bigger challenges

Kolhapur: Former Asian Games gold medallist Rahi Sarnobat believes earning a place in the Indian shooting team remains one of the toughest challenges in the sport, as intense domestic competition continues to raise India’s international standards.


Fresh from topping the women’s 25m sports pistol event in the T4 National Selection Trials, the seasoned shooter said consistency and composure under pressure would be crucial as she shifts her focus to the ISSF World Cup in China and the Asian Games later this year.


Sarnobat, who finished ahead of Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker in the selection trials, said the fiercely contested domestic circuit has become India’s biggest strength.


“Securing a place in the national team is never easy because the selection trials are extremely competitive. I am happy that I executed my plans well under pressure. The aim now is to build on this momentum and remain consistent,” Sarnobat said.


The Kolhapur shooter said the blend of experienced campaigners and emerging talent has created a healthy competitive environment in the Indian squad.


“The younger shooters bring tremendous energy and fresh ideas, while experienced athletes help the team deal with pressure at major events. Training alongside world-class shooters every day pushes all of us to improve,” she said.


The 2018 Asian Games champion said the ever-improving standard of Indian shooting has made the domestic selection process as challenging as international competition, with every trial demanding peak performance.


With the ISSF World Cup and the Asian Games on the horizon, Sarnobat said her immediate focus would be on sharpening technical skills, strengthening mental conditioning and maintaining consistency through the national camp.


India’s rifle and pistol squads for the upcoming international competitions are expected to be finalised after the ongoing selection process, with the T4 National Selection Trials serving as a decisive benchmark for selection.

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