Need monitoring authority to assess constructions: CREDAI

Lack of an authority to assess multi-storey projects was one of the reasons for the recent tragedy at suburban Moulivakkam in which 61 persons died due to collapse of an under-construction building, a real estate body today said.
The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) Past President Sandeep Mehta observed that one of the reasons for collapse of the eleven storey building was due to lack of authority to assess such high rise projects.
"There is no authority in place which can assess and audit these kind of structures," he told reporters here.
Sixty one people died after the under-construction building collapse on June 28. The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team comprising experts in engineering and architecture, to probe the matter.

Noting that the cause of the incident looks to be of "technical error", CREDAI Chennai Chapter President, Ajit Chordia said the body has undertaken a "Standard Operating Procedure" as part of a self-regulatory mechanism.
The Standard Operating Procedure would be developed by a Task Force which would comprise representatives from IIT Madras, Anna University, Chennai, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and senior members of CREDAI.

"We are expecting to complete it in 10 days and hand over the report to Inquiry Commission set up by the Government," CREDAI Chennai Chapter, Vice-President, Sures Krishn said.
The Task force would visit the project site in Moulivakkam, analyse and evaluate reasons for the collapse of the under-construction multi-storeyed building.

"Task Force is entrusted with a task of compiling a safety and quality manual with a list of dos and don'ts in order to ensure structural stability of the building to prevent recurrence of such mishaps," he said.