Oman must pass a law for old homes to avoid disasters

Earlier this week, a wall in the house of a long-term Indian resident in the town of Sur collapsed and killed him and his wife instantly.

To avoid such disaster from happening in the future, Oman must pass a law for owners of old houses to do regular repairs that should be compulsory and strictly adhered to. Homes which are more vulnerable are the ones near the Wadi paths. But also, many houses, depending on their age, get regularly damaged during the rainy season even if they are not near the Wadis.

Purshottam Bhatia, aged 89, and his wife Padmini, aged 85, died when their bedroom’s wall fell on their bed while they were asleep in the night. Mr Bhatia was a long-term businessman in Sur and he and his wife lived there for more than 3 decades. It was a tragic incidence that could have been easily avoided with proper maintenance of their house.

Sur has been hit by heavy remains this month and that obviously has damaged the house Mr and Mrs Purshottam lived in. But such incidents are not just confined in Sur but everywhere in the country. Regular maintenance would have saved their lives. House damages due to age and rains are not uncommon in Oman.

The government must intervene and start to demand every house and commercial building owners to have annual inspection certificates after their properties have reached a certain age. The Sur incidence will not be the last one and the authorities need to look into this problem that keeps happening all the time. In most areas in Oman, there are houses that are still occupied which were built in the 1960s and landlords do not do regular maintenances.

In conclusion, the government’s intervention is needed for old houses and buildings to avoid another disaster.