Kandy’s building collapse:

Lessons from Hantana

For this, I go back to 1984, when I bought a house at the Hantana housing scheme started by President Premadasa. At the beginning, these houses had little appeal for Kandy residents, because, seen from town, they seemed to hang precariously from the hillside, nearly 1000 feet above the town’s elevation.

But, the Hantana houses had hidden strengths. First, the foundations went down to about 15 feet. Second, a well-designed drainage system carried rain, toilet, and kitchen water down the hillside. Third, all toilet waste was directed to the scheme’s central sewerage system, not to pits below the houses.

Next, houses were not built as single units, but as twin-units vertically and as four units horizontally; the firm attachment gave added strength to hold the houses in place. Finally owners were asked not to plant trees with roots that could damage the sewer pipes and the external drains. Even after 40 years, these houses have held firm.

Soon, people from Kandy and other hill areas, gaining confidence from the Hantana houses, but not being aware of the five hidden strengths I have listed above, began to build on hillsides. Areas like Heerassagala, Ampitiya, Buwalikada and others saw a profusion of hillside houses. In essence, no hillside was spared. Even along Hantana road, on land poached from Kandy Hospital, such houses came up, some reinforced with sand bags from below. Such houses probably had shallow foundations, poor drainage systems and pit toilets that added weight to the embankments, and other shortcomings that made them unsuitable for hilly locations. These hillside houses are now a common sight in the central hills.

But, how did their owners obtain the various permits required for construction, as well as electricity and water supply?

Obviously, through bribery and corruption, which is rampant in Kandy as well as in other areas of Sri Lanka where such permits are required.

To me, the Buwalikada tragedy comes as no surprise. And more such incidents are waiting to happen.

GEORGE BRAINE