Sir — The deadly fire in the high rise building in london must be seen in a larger context. At the turn of 1930s, British Tories dreamed of creating a ‘property-owning democracy’. When they returned to power in 1951, emphasis shifted towards slum clearance and re-housing people in purpose-built council houses or high-rise blocks. In time, cronyism impacted design and standards of construction. Safety became a casualty.
We too are embarking on a massive janata housing scheme. These will be high-rises in far more dense populations and scorching heat. Fire department clearances, particularly, external fire escapes, must be sacrosanct and strict periodic inspection should be mandatory. lessons of faraway london must be learnt closer at home.