Ahmedabad Discussions

[aks_sky]

Some good news for Ahmedabad skyline and some kind of bad news. But hey i am sure they will come around the fire safety hazard.

20 Storey skyscrapers in city soon

Amdavadis will soon witness skyscrapers similar to those in Shanghai. The city is all set to get 20-storey residential towers, for the very first time, with the launch of two townships on the outskirts of Shela and on the SG highway.
Some other projects in the pipeline for permission are construction of hi-end hotels and a hospital by a top pharmaceutical company.
The 20-storey high-rise buildings will undoubtedly adorn Ahmedabad's skyline, but at the cost of residents' safety. This is a thought that should worry Amdavadis, as the city comes under the seismic zone 3. It implies that Ahmedabad is an earthquake-prone region, with alluvial soil land and more importantly, the city's Fire and Emergency Service (AFES) is not well-equipped to deal with fire or any other emergency at higher floors.
A senior AFES official confirmed that the fire snorkels with the service provider can reach up to a height of 30 metres at the most. However, he added that at such height, the actual safety lies in in-house fire safety measures and systems. "Generally, the officials check all the fire safety features installed in the building, before sanctioning them to the buyers. It is mainly the builder's responsibility to construct an earthquake-resistant building, along with well-equipped fire safety systems installed in it," said the official.
Pawan Bakeri, director of Bakeri Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd, said that when high-rise buildings are planned, the architect of the project takes into consideration various aspects such as the seismic zone, wind speed and soil type. "While designing a building, understanding the wind pattern becomes as crucial as understanding an earthquake pattern," he said.
Moreover, builders and architects must plan special safe areas in case of emergency or any natural calamity. He added that in cities such as Bangalore, rooms are to be equipped with sprinklers if the building is 15-storey tall or more than that.
So, booking a flat in a high-rise building is not only a concern in terms of safety for the buyers, but is also not pocket-friendly. The buyers may thus have to pay more for a 20-storey high-rise than a high rise with 5 to 12 storeys. The price of the land increases with the height.
As per senior real estate players of the city, the construction cost of a 20-storey building goes up by 25-30% as compared to the cost of constructing a 10-storey building. More so, if the developer is not able to make profit from the additional Floor Space Index (FSI) and has to build according to the current FSI, he will surely pass on the additional cost to the customers.

Source: DNA epaper 13/12