What to consider before you buy that dream house in Mumbai

What are the factors we consider before we put our life’s savings into that one thing most of us dream of — a home of our own? That the design matches what we have in mind? That it is spacious? That it has all the luxurious features possible? That it fits in our budget?

How many home buyers can honestly say they also look for the right safety features? Does the building have adequate refuge areas? Does it have the required safety equipment? Is there a contingency plan for fires, earthquakes, even floods? Once we move in, do we take the mock drills seriously? Do we know how to put out a fire the right way, or to take the right precautions?

Builders know which buttons to press to entice buyers; safety isn’t one of them. That is why the the BMC’s decision to make the installation of safety floats suspended from a crane on the roof mandatory in high-rises is welcome. For once the authorities have taken a step to ensure the safety of citizens, and it is only right that we put something back on the table — by choosing to value our lives. Let’s start by asking our builders what safety measures have been put in place. If they don’t have much to talk about, and we fail to convince them to install adequate features, we should move on.

In Mumbai, nearly 200 buildings — high-rises, basement structures, and malls — were recently served notices by the BMC for not being adequately equipped for emergencies. In Navi Mumbai, the fire department has sent notices to 60% of high-rises for not having proper fire-fighting infrastructure. All this will hopefully lead to adequate measures being put in place. But do we really need to wait for already stretched organs of the state to impose something as elementary as safety upon us?