Construction experts have warned that flood affected houses in Lahore could potentially be unsafe.
According to experts, when planning a housing scheme or building a house, the geological structure of the area is given great importance. Unfortunately, the societies that were submerged are built right in the river’s natural path.
In a report, BBC Urdu, citing experts highlighted that land around rivers is sandy. While developing housing schemes, the flow of water is usually kept in mind to ensure it stays away from the society. However, a number of societies in Lahore were built directly in the river’s course.
The experts said that If three to four feet of water remains standing for several days, it will shake the foundation of a house, causing the structure to shift from its place and cracks to appear in the walls.
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The experts explained that if cracks appear in the upper parts of a house, they can be repaired. However, repairing damage to the foundations is very costly, and in some cases the foundations become so weak that repairs are no longer possible.
However, they said that if by good fortune, the foundation of a house remains unaffected, floodwater mixes with cement and gravel and seeps into the walls, eventually leading to salinity problems.
They said that if the structural cracks are minor and the land settlement has not caused significant changes, then the houses can be repaired. However, such repairs are quite expensive.
However, an official of the society affected by recent flooding said that they had set regulations for house construction, under which the foundations were strengthened in advance by laying concrete lintels.
