The deadly fire in a high-rise building in London must be seen in a larger context. At the turn of the 1930s, the British Tories dreamed of creating a “property-owning democracy”. When they returned to power in 1951, the emphasis shifted towards slum clearance and rehousing people in purpose-built Council houses or high-rise blocks. In time, cronyism impacted design and architecture and the standard of construction. Safety soon became a casualty. The recent fire is an example of this.
India too is embarking on massive, Janata-type housing plan. They will be high-rises in far more densely populated areas and where there will be scorching heat. Fire department clearances and particularly external fire escapes must be sacrosanct. Fire-fighting needs to undergo a total change. Lessons from faraway London must be learnt closer at home.
R. Narayanan,
Ghaziabad
