At a time when property prices are going through the roof, unabated construction activity is playing havoc on the residents of the colony. House after house is being demolished and converted into 4-storey apartments, most of them outsourced to builders.
The builders play a critical role in making these houses more affordable, reducing the headache of the owners to construct the house on their own and provide a standardized quality to the constructed apartments. Yet, they are the favorite punching bag of every resident of the colony.
The reasons are quite straightforward. The builders time and again flout construction norms. They do not cover the construction site properly, which leads to huge amounts of dust pollution. They put their construction material on the road as well as backlanes, inconveniencing neighbors all around. They use heavy machinery like poclain to break down the house, which not only damages the roads but also causes structural damage to adjacent houses. They work after permitted hours, disturbing the sleep of residents. They leave the back lanes dirty and damaged, which then becomes a haven for all kinds of diseases.
The norms for builders are very clear, yet they are openly flouted, with the local authorities turning a blind eye to them for reasons best not mentioned. However, the residents of the colony are left to fend for themselves in such times.
There is a humble request to residents who outsource their construction to builders, please think about the neighbors as well as the colony. Today it may be others, but tomorrow you may be equally affected. Please ensure that the builders follow the construction norms. A humble request is also to the builders to please while building houses, build goodwill in the colony among the residents, as no one wants to trouble anyone unnecessarily.
At the same time, the RWA is requested to be more proactive in listening to the complaints of the residents regarding the building norms, and ensure that the guilty are punished. Also,a huge amount of time, money and effort is spent in maintaining backlanes, hence any builder found dumping construction waste or damaging them should be brought to the book.
