hidden image

Murad Nagar Crematorium Tragedy : WAKE UP CALL

Aarti Aarti
11 Jan 2021

The roof of a shelter at a Ghaziabad (Muradnagar) crematorium that collapsed on 3 January this year killing at least 24 people in the age group of 22 to 60 years and injuring over 15 others is a classic example of how often buildings are not only haphazardly constructed but regulatory norms are flouted with impunity.
 
It is so appalling that most of the victims had come to the crematorium for the last rites of a relative when the roof came down on unsuspecting people. That all the victims were males means rebuilding the lives of kith and kin will not be easy for the families who lost their breadwinners. The State government has announced Rs 10 lakh each as compensation for victim families, besides constituting a special investigation team of the Uttar Pradesh Police’s economic offences wing. An initial inquiry by a committee of engineers had found the use of substandard material coupled with faulty design ultimately led to the structural collapse. 
 
Of the five persons have been arrested so far, three are officials of the local Nagar Palika besides the contractor who was involved in the construction of the crematorium and his accomplice. What is more disconcerting is that the contractor reportedly stated that he allegedly bribed the local officials and also resorted to malpractices.
 
The Muradnagar crash may just be a tip of the ice berg as collapse of bridges, flyovers and buildings are not uncommon in India. The cause for concern is that rapid urbanisation has often led to several challenges. Then there are greedy officials whose palms when greased seem to look the other way while granting licences and no objection certificates.  
 
Take the case of a higher secondary school in Ahmedabad which collapsed on 26 January 2001 when earthquake devastated Gujarat. 32 hapless students of class 11 met with untimely death as the building of the School crashed. The unfortunate students who were buried in the debris of the building had to be extricated after much efforts. When the matter went to Court, it was found that no building use permission was taken before the School was started. Although plans were sanctioned as per the Municipal bye-laws, construction was not made in accordance with the Plans. It was necessary that a soil test had to be carried out on the land upon which the School building was constructed, but no such test was done. No supervisor was appointed while the construction of the School building was going on, and as such the work proceeded without any supervision. After completion of construction, the required completion Report was not provided to the Municipal Corporation. The school Building was constructed within a period of one year and it also collapsed in less than one year.
 
Last September, a three-storey building collapsed in Maharashtra's Thane district in which nearly 41 people lost their lives. The building is said to have housed 40 flats. Over 150 residents were sleeping inside when the building crashed in the wee hours of the morning. When the debris was cleared which took almost 50 hours, highly decomposed, mutilated dead bodies recovered included 18 children in the age group of two to 15, including three toddlers.
 
While shoddy and illegal construction is a major cause, poor maintenance of old buildings compounds the problem as well.  According to studies, while building the foundations, the solidity of the soil and the heaviness of the building and its contents mean a lot. It has been found that another reason for building collapses is that materials used to build the structures are often not strong enough to withhold the load. Some contractors tend to use counterfeit materials like scrap metal instead of steel. Moreover to cut costs, developers may also deploy unskilled workers who are cheaper than trained ones and there can be errors while mixing ratios of the concrete. Buildings may also collapse if the load is beyond the building's strength that can happen when extra storeys are added rather illegally.
 
We have a National Building Code, 2015, but how many religiously adhere to it. According to National Crime Records Bureau data, a total of 13,473 cases of structural collapse were reported across India between 2010 and 2014. Of all these, 1,614 people were crushed under commercial buildings, while 4,914 died when residential buildings collapsed. Notably, during the same period, flyovers killed a little over 6,200 people.
 
Will the Muradnagar tragedy serve as a wakeup call?
 

Recent Posts

The Emergency must be remembered, not as a tool to target a political party but as a lesson against authoritarian excess. Yet, we cannot ignore that worse violations of democratic norms and human righ
apicture A. J. Philip
30 Jun 2025
Fifty years later, India faces a chilling déjà vu with an 'undeclared' Emergency. Freedom of speech is stifled, dissent is suppressed, and institutions are compromised. True democracy demands resistan
apicture Cedric Prakash
30 Jun 2025
Amit Shah's claim that those who speak English will be ashamed evidences that the BJP-RSS is trying to bring down the populace and push India into another Vedic dark age where ignorance and superstiti
apicture Jacob Peenikaparambil
30 Jun 2025
The NSE's ?1,400 crore settlement with SEBI raises critical concerns about India's financial markets. Any perceived regulatory capture risks eroding trust.
apicture Jaswant Kaur
30 Jun 2025
Christian education in India has had a profound influence on democracy and social justice in the country. It played a pivotal role in challenging caste oppression, promoting inclusivity, and fostering
apicture Fr Soroj Mullick, SDB
30 Jun 2025
"The spread of digital culture, particularly evident among young people, is profoundly changing their experience of space and time; it influences their daily activities, communication, and interperson
apicture Joe Eruppakkatt
30 Jun 2025
Welcome to the Happy State of Emergency: Where freedom is carefully curated, minds are pre-cooked, and Big Brother doesn't need to frown—he just raises one eyebrow... and we salute…!
apicture Robert Clements
30 Jun 2025
The North-South divide reflects India's broader regional and cultural tensions. The progress of Southern states in health, education, and development contrasts with the Hindi belt's struggles on devel
apicture Thomas Menamparampil
23 Jun 2025
India's 2027 census and ensuing delimitation will redefine its political landscape. As northern states gain influence due to burgeoning population, southern states will face reduced representation des
apicture Dr John Singarayar
23 Jun 2025
For India to become a global healthcare power, it must democratise medical education—revise outdated rules, invest in public institutions, expand seats, embrace technology, and ensure affordability. A
apicture A. J. Philip
23 Jun 2025