LAWS are made in our country but it is unfortunate that their
implementation has always remained very weak. Individuals, especially the influential ones are often seen flagrantly trampling on them.
The same has been witnessed in the implementation of building by-laws whose importance cannot be overlooked to ensure orderly and safe development of localities in urban areas. Capital Development Authority (CDA) has now decided to launch a comprehensive operation in approved housing societies situated in Zone-II and Zone-V of the city against violations of building and zoning regulations. The operation is being launched following housing societies and individual builders were given sufficient time by the civic agency to get their building plans approved from the Authority and address violations on their own and follow the building and zoning regulations in true letter and spirit. We really support the very initiative of the CDA but its outcome will only be visible if the operation is carried out without any discrimination and that the violators are heavily penalized in order to avert violations of building codes in future. Then, the civic body should not confine its operation only to the housing societies but should be expanded to the commercial areas of the capital as well as the sectors developed by the CDA itself. Often it has been seen in the commercial plazas that no space is allocated for emergency exits and this is the reason one sees the most damage and casualties in these buildings whenever fire breaks out there. In the residential sectors also, the emergence of hostels, restaurants and schools has become a routine which is not permissible under the law. Action should be taken against them without taking into account backlash from influential personalities. Most importantly, the CDA must also put its house in order and action should be initiated against the building law violators during the construction phase rather than when any house or building stands erected.
