Gentlemen/ladies.
We are responsible for our own doom; let us not blame anyone! What has happened in Mumbai shall happen in any other city of today in India if it rain as it did in Mumbai since 26th July 2005.
Please PONDER over the contents of the article that follows:
Ruefully,
WEDS
Commonsense paradoxically most uncommon
The last 2 decades of 2nd millennium has seen considerable building activity and modification of the topography of mother earth. The events those have been observed, leads one conclude that is common sense most uncommon? It pays to ponder for a while, on the metamorphosis that has resulted in changing the landscape of our motherland beyond recognition. If, one were to analyse the aspects that have changed or caused the change, deducation would be as follows:-
1 Geologists attributed the existence of mountain as formed on account of volcanic eruptions thousands or millions of years earlier than today. Volcano erupts owing to molten mass that is inside upper crust of the earth, find a weak zone in the crust of earth and this results in considerably high pressure build up at that point of the crust of the earth which, forces the molten mass to break crust open and erupt form these fissures.
The first volume of molten lava when exposed to the atmosphere cools & solidifies. Owing to this, subsequent eruption too cools as it spreads under the cooled mass laterally & thus forms a conical mass. This by its inertia exerts sufficient pressure which, neutralizes the pressure at which molten lava erupts, The volcanic eruption ceases. This molten formation acts for the earths crust, just as a scab on a wound on ones body which, not only blocks the losing of blood from wound but, also helps to heal it.
Hence, leveling of mountain commercially, causes mass imbalance on the crust of earth causing low tolerance zone on the crust of the earth which may progressively cause or trigger volcanic eruption elsewhere.
2 The mass of soil so excavated by leveling of hill or mountain is filled in a low-lying area which needs at least 20 years to settle into a integral mass. The more the incidence of such denudation of mountains greater is propensity of triggering yet another volcanic or seismic aberration, though not at place of excavation, elsewhere.
3 Conventional wisdom of our ancestors advocated construction of houses building, with materials available which are generic to the mother earth such as stones cut form granite formation or leterite crust or mud finely sieved mixed with lime, sand jaggery and the roofs were constructed slantingly with enjoinment of rafters reapers wall plates, beams with over burnt clay tiles layering and as the roof extended almost 2 1/2 feet away from the periphery of the walls thereby protecting wall from formation of moss in monsoon by flow of water. Gap between wall top & roof allowed ample circulation of air by convection currents and also owing to the fact wood, clay tiles being non- conductors of heat, retained the interior of house or building cool. As all the material used to build house or building were generic, to mother earth or nature there was generic, ecological, mineral affinity and dwellers in such a house felt an exquisite feeling of peace and tranquility.
4 Contrary to whatever stated in earlier paragraph the concrete construction employs mortar cement mixture twisted steel rods for reinforcement. Mortar cement mixture when it cures, form stubborn and firm mass of the shape of mould or caste. Construcation being easy it has acquired very ready acceptance among builders of houses or as well as buildings, more so, as it is very amenable to multi storeyed constructions and also owing to be fact that the conventional building materials do not support such high rise buildings.
5 This aspect apart, there is a definite advantage of a conventional construction for residential houses. Owing to the factors already explained conventional house built by time tested, age old matenals, it being the case whereby the convention materials are generic to the nature as well as mother earth and very light weight. RCC construction of a similar to a given size or of conventional shape is 50 times heavier than the conventional construcation. This results in localized excess load on the surface of earth, which, results in uneven pressure build on the crust of earth which, may trigger a seismic aberration on the earth elsewhere if not immediately, in course of time.
Further crust of earth does not have even load bearing capacity at every point of its surface. Whenever a building is constructed this aspect is never given importance to, most of the time this uneven load of one pillar on the earth to that exerted by the other, forming the structure, progressively the pillar at the less load bearing capacity point on the surface of the earth is subjected to slow sinkage at that pillar into the soil resulting in cracks in beams, in concrete walls. During monsoon these allow water to seep in, resulting in the twisted steel rods rusting and increasing in volume, thereby further cracking mortar cement mixture tending to widen the cracks contributing to the progressive damage of this structure.
6 RCC constructions are built as match box structure without a conventional slanting roof at the top, allowing rain water to flow along walls, as it flows along the walls causing moss formation, partial seepage into the walls, as mortar cement mixture is only water resistant and not waterproof. These aspect is ignored and the resultant seepage from roof or the lintel which, causing damage to roof and progressively increased seepage, further damages building . This can be avoided by having a slanting roof above the topmost lintel with corrugated zinc sheets coating them by 3 parts by volume of liquid coal tar mixed with one part by volume of turpentine and applied to this sheets at both surface.
7 This mixture dries in about half an hour and firms. This may also be applied on any metal fixtures exposed to rainfall & sunshine. This application is very effective against termites, white ants and may be applied to wooden reepers & rafters. Asbestos sheets are a taboo as they are proved to be carcinogenic. This also prevents heating of the building during summer by sunshine as concrete structures owing to the twisted steel rods embedded for reinforcement which being good conductor of heat absorbs heat and retain it longer causing intolerably hot inside building. Building materials used in the conventional building being of their generic to mother earth & affinity and also owing to the fact that these being highly non conductors of heat and absence of employment of twisted steel roads reinforcement retain conventional building cool in summer & a little warm in winter.
8 A wooden beam of given cross sectional area length sawed form well grow wood, has 30 times more load bearing capacity than a concrete beam of similar size & cross sectional area &is 50 times lighter than the concrete beam of similar cross sectional area & length
8. Conventional houses & buildings built with slanting roof made of wooden rafters, reapers & tiles are amenable to repair modification where as RCC constructions need rebuilding by demolition. Conventionally built buildings last longer than RCC constructions.
9. Use of plywood planks for wardrobe cupboard is ill advised. Plywood planks have no naturally formed integral fibres and grains as in natural wood. Hence, are subject to warping, layers flaking & do not have effective load bearing capacity.
10. Use of concrete well rings should be avoided as cement in water causes it to be toxic and iron rods used for reinforcement do rust causing water impure and this water if drunk leaves considerable strain on kidney.
11. Lime & sand mixture fermented with jaggery and used for stone, brick bonding and plaster, progressively firms and integrates with time & becomes so strong with ageing that it becomes break proof. Contrary to belief mortar cement mixture degenerates with ageing.
12. Use of lime for whitewash of walls is advisable logically as white surface reflects maximum amount of light incident on it whereas, all other colours absorb most of light incident on them. Hence if walls are painted in other than white, electricity spent on lighting of that room whose walls have been painted in other than white is very high & expensive. Moreover lime destroys insects & grerms.
13. Flats or apartments in high rise buildings are ill advised as there built ascendingly and occupants of flats at higher levels tend to breathe air exhaled from occupants of lower level flats. Moreover, as effective air circulation in flats is not available persons living in flats suffer from hypertension, insomnia etc.
14. Disadvantages of limited land individual dwelling unit townships: Urbanisation & pseudo development( actually, distruction widespread) has resulted in forest and agricultural land being converted into residential industrial and commercial areas. Self styles real estate delevoppers,realtors, constructors(destroyers) dump debris or garbage in low lying areas of /or agricultural fields acquiring themat very cheap price, by laying a layer of acceptably good soil over it, lay roads and partition it into residential/commercial plots of 5,7,10,12.. cents and sell them to buyer for construction of dwelling or other structures. Ordinarily, a well sunk or septic tank equipped toilet is built with an RCC roofed structure. Principles of hygene & community health require one well to be at least 50 ft away from another & toilet from well. These limited size plots have hardly any scope to adhere to these principles! Result water resources contamination & hazard to human health! The much politicised low income group housing is an eloquent testimony how political & commercial compulsion wreak havoc with public health!
15. Our predecessors built houses, wells on highlands & hills, whearas, plains, low lands were for cattle grazing & shallow fields for cultivation. They had farsight & commonsense & were far more logical, analytical & commonsense endowed! In low lying areas, shallow water table provided ample scope for grass to grow & to aid cultivation whereas these were unsuitable for dwelling as wells dug in these areas provide water at shallow depth which, was contaminated during monsoon!
16. Building of multi-storeyed constructions on either on top of mountains or along the declination slope is disasterous not only during incessant rains but also during earth tremors & quakes. It is likely either by loosening of foundation bed owing to excessive wetness of earth during heavy incessant monsoon or by tremor causing foundation bed unstable, buildings collapse resulting in enormous damage as well as loss of human life.
17. As buildings either unitary or duplex or multi-storeyed built in cities indiscriminately having scant regard to natural topography, natural rain & flood water flow routes, garbage & waste disposal means, capacity, infrastructue, water supply capability, drainage capacity & functional load limit, electrical supply & its lad limit, collection of waste undisposed, blockade & overflow of drains, scarcity of water/ draught, flooding of water in cities & submerging of them, erosion of roads bridges etc., occurs.
18. Even dams built for irrigation, have a life & weaken progressively owing to continued bearing of force of thrust by blocked water & are either shall breach or collapse!
19. It is idiocy and nonsense that persons disregard wisdom of our predecessors and have recklessly demolished scientifically and logically built tiled, slanting roofed houses built using matured seasoned wood, exceptionally firm well integrated stones, fermented mud/lime plastered walls built therewith and opted for concrete dwelling units which, degenerate faster, whose maintenance expenses are recurring and are unamenable to repairs!
20. Roads were usually built by laying soil bed in an year, allowing it set in monsoon season, dump large bodrasses (granite unshaped stones of assorted size) layer of soil on it wetted & roller rolled, afterwards large graved embedded on it with wetted soil & roller rolled, with final ½ an inch gravel mixed with molten bitumen spread over it and roller rolled, finally layer is covered with molten bitumen mixed granite sand spread over & roller rolled. The edges of road had kerbs preventing edge frating. However today everything is done without allowing the bed to set for one monsoon! This causes bed to shear & road develop pits. needing expensive repairs & repairs also carried in slipshod manner resulting in recurring damage & recurring repairs.
21. The granite used is derived by blasting rocks not realizing rock resource is fast dwindling. Sea bed is resorted for rock by blasting & the shockwaves according to geologists cause TSUNAMIs.
22. River joining is another politically motivated idiotic self destructive plan. Geologists have observed, rivers change course in every thousand years! Surface of earth has porosity in varying degrees, as well as density mountains & valleys. Persons who advocate river joining are so idiotic & shortsighted that it is considered as similar to joining water tanks by pipes. Owing to very formation pattern of earth & its soil structure, the existing rivers may vanish by drying resulting in disaster to mankind as well as colossal waste of funds to do so and the plight of those who will be displace, rehabilitated & money to be spent!
On Sun, 31 Jul 2005 Ancy S.D'Souza Paladka wrote :
>Hello friends,
>Please find some of the pictures of the game play of rains in Mumbai.
>These pictures are taken from Dadar, Parel, Kurla, Ghatkoper and Vikroli
>
>Please click the link below for the pictures
>http://ancy.fotopic.net/c635344.html
>
>Dev Borem Korum,
>Ancy S. D'Souza Paladka (Salu Soz)
>
>
>
>
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