CM puts forward theories behind collapse,asks IIT-B to create building-plan software

While speaking at the inaugration of a new Centre for Urban Science and Engineering (C-USE) at IIT Bombay Monday.

While speaking at the inaugration of a new Centre for Urban Science and Engineering (C-USE) at IIT Bombay Monday,Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said there are several theories are floating around regarding what led to the Dockyard Road building collapse. These include vibrations from the mega Eastern Freeway project,he said. An audit had warned BMC that the structure Dockyard Road building was weak.

One theory is that the ground floor was illegally let out to some mandap contractor and he tried to carry out construction work there,who tampered with the beams and columns. This might have weakened the structure. Another theory is that when the Eastern Freeway was being built,a lot of piling work was done. So this structure could have been affected by the vibrations of that project. Also,when the building came up in the mid-1970s,the quality of cement was bad. It is being suspected that the buildings built during that period are structurally weak. So your centre can check he buildings built during that period, Chavan said.

He told IIT Bombay to work on creating a software which will enable online submission of building plans.

Admitting serious administrative lapses that led to the collapse of the building,Additional municipal commissioner Rajeev Jalota Monday hinted that alterations other than that on the ground floor could have led to the collapse. We will have to wait for the final structural report but we have been informed that alterations to the major beams and columns of the building were not restricted to the mezzanine floor. We are looking into these aspects, he said.

Asking IIT Bombay to come up with a livability index or comparison between mega cities which can be presented to potential investors,he said C-USE can focus on economics and finances of urban planning and governance,besides looking at ways to negotiate through the Madhav Gadgil report,that has halted coastal region development.

You cannot find a better live lab than this city. Our planning in Mumbai depends on economic and scientific inputs. So the centre must focus on finances. I expect the centre to train people in modern town planning,offer better technological solutions for solid waste management and waste water treatment,among others, Chavan said.

Critical of the way projects are planned,clearances involved and delays in execution leading to project cost escalation,Chavan said the challenge is to plan and decide on policies which integrate engineering and technical concepts and social and economic policies.

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With the primary mandate of improving urban quality of life,C-USE will focus on four broad areas planning and design,policy and governance,infrastructure and informatics.

The centre will be closely connected to Mumbai. We will research on areas of relevance to mega-cities and provide education required for future planners and managers. We will look at training programmes for those already on the job. Focus will also be on data generated by cities and see how this data can be analysed to frame policies, said IIT Bombay director Devang Khakhar.

While curriculum development for an inter-disciplinary masters programme is on,a PhD programme will start in January 2014.

The centre will create an urban knowledge repository for planners,practitioners,help in capacity building and assist national/ state/ city agencies. We can also look at using IIT Bombay campus as a proving/ testing ground for research projects, said IIT Bombay Professor Krithi Ramamritham.

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