Hills are alive with unsound buildings
Hills are alive with unsound buildings ‘Boowella’ ground could not support five storeys
Lack of finance for geosurface analysis, political interference at local authority level, failure by the State to obtain professional assistance and the absence of continuous reviews of buildings is putting lives in the central hills in danger, experts warn.
The tragedy this week at Sangamitta Mawatha in Buwelikada, Kandy that took the lives of a young family could have been prevented if early preventive measures had been taken, experts said.
Today, the house and boutique hotel owned by lawyer Achala Ekanayake, 32, and her husband, businessman Chamila Prasad, 35, is a huge pile of debris. Where once was heard the sound of lullabies and baby cries and giggles, there is now silence.
The catastrophe occurred when the adjoining five-storey building collapsed in the early hours of September 20, burying one-and-a-half-month-old baby Onela and her young parents. Army and police rescue teams first recovered the baby but she died on admission to hospital. The bodies of the parents were recovered almost eight hours after the collapse.
The owner of the five- storey house, Anura Lewke, his wife and children,
escaped unhurt when their house collapsed. They gave no warning of impending collapse to their neighbours.
University of Peradeniya Senior Professor of Geology, Athula Senaratne said the name of the suburb where the house lay, Bhuwelikada, means " boowella" or loose soil, which would indicate the ground could not support a weight of five storeys.
“The foundation itself is in question,” Dr. Senaratne said. “It is clear that it was not built according to construction standards, and not even included in the original plans is the fact that the intention was to put four more storeys.
“Since 2011, it has been compulsory to obtain NBRO clearance. But this building was constructed in 2006-7. We have doubts about the foundation,” Prof. Senaratne said.
A circular was issued in 2011 (No. NBRO 2011/1) following a Cabinet decision giving powers to the NBRO to issue Clearance Certificates through Landslide Risk Assessment Process (LRAP) for any construction activity proposed in 10 landslidevulnerable districts: Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Kegalle, Kalutara, Kandy, Matale, Matara, Galle and Hambantota. It is compulsory to obtain NBRO clearance at the initial stage of any development activity.
“It was noticed that some gullies coming down the slopes were blocked both above and below by houses,” Prof. Senaratne said. “There is also evidence of a pipeline leakage. There have been multiple failures that have led the ground to let go of the construction that it could not bear any more.”
He said the government should not wait for an emergency to call on the advice of experts, whether geologists, structural engineers and planners, but obtain their support continuously, eliciting assessments and recommendations.
“Our universities are geared with the most qualified persons – there are so many volunteers from the Peradeniya University itself. It is saddening that our expertise is rarely requested,” he said.
Local authorities, the main approval bodies, especially ones run by pradeshiya sabhas, have greater political influence in construction in Badulla, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts.
Prof. Senaratne said the Tourism Ministry also should initiate a general assessment of properties in the Central and Uva provinces.
“There are many risky constructions in the Ella, Bandarawela and Haputale areas.
Not all need to be removed or relocated; there are plenty of remedial measures to strengthen the structure,” he said.
The head of the National Building and Research Organisation’s ( NBRO) Landslide Division, R.M.S. Bandara, said approval agencies, namely local authorities, had failed to conduct post-construction reviews.
“This young family fell prey to a construction of a multi-storeyed building that was built in a way that the soil of the valley could not cope with. The foundation was laid for two floors but ended up supporting five storeys. The soil failed to carry the weight of five floors. With rains, the valley can have a certain amount of erosion. This collapse is not due to a landslide or land subsidence but mainly to a construction default,” he said.
Mr. Bandara said since the guidelines were issued in 2011, more than 90,000 building reviews have been conducted and recommendations made.
“But then approval agencies should make sure the owners follow the recommendations,” Mr. Bandara said. “The absence of this has led to building owners putting up storeys without informing the approval agency.”
Kandy Municipal Commissioner Chandana Tennakoon said cannot comment as a report on the accident is being prepared for the Central Province Governor.
The senior geologist attached to the NBRO’s Kandy district office, Samantha Bogahapitiya, said at present the soil is observed by its outer appearance. Geotechnical analysis of a slope needed drilling to bedrock.
“It is a good move to conduct a building survey for buildings before 2011. That won’t be an easy task as Kandy itself has about 35,000-40,000 buildings,” he said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Kandy), Sudath Masinghe said as this was a construction failure, original documents including plans are to be submitted to court for further action to be taken.
“If it is proven that the owner has not taken precautionary measures or has misled authorities, it will be deemed a criminal offence due to the deaths of three people,” he said.
He also said the owners had acted irresponsibly by not informing police or neighbours when there were signs that their house could collapse.
Officials from the Kandy Municipal Council refused to comment on this.