THE much-publicised flats are a feature of modern urban life. They are considered well-suited to satisfy needs of all those, who cannot afford a one unit house for themselves. The vertical expansion, as it is, is a borrowed idea to provide shelter to a large segment of the people, as horizontal expansion, to which most of us are used to, is today expensive and also requires acres of land for housing. The highrise blocks of flats with several floors become problematic in the long run, that are not anticipated before a flat is happily booked.
The problems start surfacing within five to six years of occupation of a newly-built flat. The first shock that a proud flat owner gets, thanks to sub-standard material used by a builder, is seepage in ceilings of bathrooms and other places. If the occupant of the flat above you, is inconsiderate and not used to living in a flat, he would not yield to remedy your problem of seepage, even if he is not supposed to share any expenditure. Next to it is the work woman. If she is allowed to use her own discretion, the kitchen sink and bathroom gutters are likely to get choked every now and then due to her careless working. Accommodation in a flat being very ‘cut and dried’, guests intending to spend their weekends with you, are always hesitant to come, because of spare bedrooms. The children cannot play in a flat nor they can be pushed out, lest they are hurt by reckless driving of young teenagers in the complex.
For holding functions, if any, you have to go out, as the open space in the building is usually occupied for parking of the motor vehicles of residents. If it is covered parking, there are heated arguments every now and then for parking, if it is not properly allotted to the bona fide residents. People with a difference in their ethnic, cultural values, habits, social customs and means of living always keep themselves aloof, unless there is any emergency needing others’ help. Flats, it has been observed, provide little privacy and give easy access to hordes of cockroaches that require frequent control measures to minimise their multiplication. Sometimes white-ants also damage doors and windows, if not checked off and on.
Flats in general are looked after by a Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) formed residents themselves. A monthly collection of Rs500 to 1000 (or above) is compulsorily made from each resident to pay electricity dues, wages of chowkidars and sweepers and payment of water tankers owners (not necessary in all cases) because there is shortage of water, especially during the summer season, in most of the flats, and you have to depend on the tankers’ mafia to offset the water shortage.
There are a few ‘Kill joys’ who like to enjoy every facility without paying their monthly maintenance charges on one pretext or the other. With this uncooperative attitude, their maintenance charges go on piling up. When they are pressed for payment of their dues, they pay a little amount just to escape the wrath of others, at whose cost they enjoy all facilities. This ultimately results in financial crisis. The shortage thus caused in recoveries from defaulters delays timely payments of electric and water bills. On having lost the patience, the KESC disconnects power supply till at least 50 per cent of the dues is paid.
Another setback of flat life is that parents of prospective sons and daughters do not receive suitable match, as living in a flat is a hinderance and you are considered to have no social status. Family background, that was once valued, counts no more. Everything is now measured in terms of money, social status, personal contacts in society, owning a fleet of motor cars and the area in which you live in. Young boys, living in flats, find their leisure hard to pass. They are normally seen perched on raised parapets or the boots and bonnets of parked cars, smoking and looking at passing girls and women. Parents have no time to ask their sons how they spend their leisure and why they are loitering or gossiping with whoever comes across them. Managing of the young is also a big problem as they off and on crack fire-crackers for their pleasure, regardless whether one is ill or sleeping. Due to lack of adequate funds, mutual understanding, social adjustments and cooperation among residents, most of the flat complexes are in a miserable state.
They are crying for their annual repairs and white-washing to restore their good looks. Horizontal expansion, as a matter of fact, is more suited to our living, as our forefathers and theirs’ have had been living in single and double-storey houses, which has got in our blood. In future housing projects, vertical expansion may be discouraged, unless some open space is left, parks are provided, and there are reading rooms for the young and old people in every flat complex. No matter, if all this in the larger interest costs the builder to skip over one or two blocks to provide these facilities, if flat complexes are inevitable in our life.
Once you are in a flat complex, you are in fraternity of occupants. You have to forget all about your cultural and social values, ethnic difference and dialects and have to live like brothers and sisters. The flats, as they are in a complex, are more or less like a big house.
One has to be tolerant, forgiving, sacrificing and accommodative to live in absolute peace. If we have learnt the way the life is lived in a flat complex, there maybe no disharmony among residents. Neighbours should always be helping in the neighbour’s distress.
THE much-publicised flats are a feature of modern urban life. They are considered well-suited to satisfy needs of all those, who cannot afford a one unit house for themselves. The vertical expansion, as it is, is a borrowed idea to provide shelter to a large segment of the people, as horizontal expansion, to which most of us are used to, is today expensive and also requires acres of land for housing. The highrise blocks of flats with several floors become problematic in the long run, that are not anticipated before a flat is happily booked.
