The Hindu : Builders break rules, contribute to traffic jam too

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Builders break rules, contribute to traffic jam too

By Marri Ramu

HYDERABAD June 15. Among other things, inadequate off-street parking facilities and violation of norms in construction of ramps in commercial buildings are contributing to traffic jam in the twin cities. Sometimes, this is also resulting in accidents and obstruction to fire-fighting operations.

Clear-cut rules were incorporated in the National Building Code, AP Urban Areas (Development) Act, 1975, Bhagyanagar Urban Development Authority Zonal Regulations and the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, with regard to parking facilities inside commercial buildings.

However, with the concerned Government wings turning a blind eye to the violations being resorted to by the builders and developers, traffic chaos at important intersections and business areas had become a common feature.

It is said that parking demand is a function of land-use and parking space is meant for occupants and persons visiting the premises.

As per the NBC, for every 80 sq. mts built area, 20 sq. mts. car parking space shall be provided in the commercial buildings. In addition to this, the zonal regulations prescribed an additional 20 sq. mts. parking space for other types of vehicles (scooters, cycles etc).

The builders, in several cases had underclassified the category of the buildings (commercial, office, residential etc) to get away with less parking space.

In a clever move to hoodwink concerned officials, some builders show the mandatory open space on four sides of the buildings as parking area, which is also a gross violation of rules.

A more serious breach being committed by the builders is with regard to ramps and cellar parking. As per the, zonal regulations, parking space includes the driveway from the parking lot to the road and also ramps, if any.

A ramp is an inclined pathway built for movement of vehicles from cellar parking to the road. According to rules, the slope of a ramp shall not be greater than 1 in 8 i.e., for an 8-metre long ramp, the inclination should not be greater than 1 metre. It appears that very few buildings in the State capital confirm to these standards.

The ramp shall be within the building premises and have a level place for a few metres so that the upcoming vehicle driver could slow down, see if any vehicles were coming in his way and then enter the road. This level place is almost absent in a majority of cases.

Adding to these hazardous violations are the defects in cellar parkings. As a rule, the cellar parkings should be provided with auto-alarm, water sprinklers, smoke exhaust fans with separate power supply connection, proper ventilation and exit paths in opposite direction.

It is interesting to note that the Act laid down that any of these violations cannot be regularised. Thus, the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad and the city traffic police have no option but to remedy unsafe cellar parking areas and excessively steep ramps.

When contacted, a traffic police official said, "Before according permission, these buildings are supposed to be checked by us. However, the time given by MCH officials for such inspections is not sufficient''. As a result, most of the builders get away with these violations.

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