LIFE IN A HIGH RISE FLAT

In an industrial area, space becomes scarce as more and more families pour in as they cannot find space for houses. Not only the space but also the cost becomes prohibitive. So the average workers cannot have the luxury of owning houses. Still they want some shelters to lay their heads down when they returned from their office and factory. The answer has been the high rise flats of several floors. They are either built by the Building Society or by the Housing Boards of Government.

These flats are provided with basic facilities like water, lights, good drainage, airy rooms and the like. Flats which are above five storeys are provided with lifts to take people up and down otherwise they will have to use the walk-up stairs. Undoubtedly, those who live in the flats may be independent. .

There are more disadvantages in living in a high flat. The movements will be restricted and conditioned according to the circumstances. It is a pitiful sight for those people, living in the walk-up flats where there are no lifts provided for. Some of these people have to struggle, with the loads of their monthly requirements, their way up the stairs of these flats. It is an unimaginative and a pathetic sight to see those elderly, sick and crippled tenants inching their way up to reach their units and vice versa. One may have to live with all kinds of people, the homogenity which was the rule rather than the exception will be wanting. One does not know who his neighbour is, so though living in the midst of many, one may be lonely. Since all the facilities are artificially controlled, any breakdown would paralyse those living there . A good example is the supply of water, if there is any defect in the plumbing, life will be upset. For want of space, one must plan carefully what one must own. Whereas in the older days, people had enough space to entertain guests and realtives but a modern flat dweller shuns at them. It is the children who would suffer most for there is not enough space for them to play and run about. Unless one has the facility to take them out, they will develop complexes of closed space. Since they cannot easily mingle with other children, there may be blind spots in their character as they grow up. Living in such artificial surroundings may be even tell on their health and growth. They will feel like caged birds. This may be true of even grown ups.

In the event of any fire breakout or the spread of epidermics, the high rise flats will suffer most. From aesthetic point of view, the flats do not add to the beauty of the city.

In short, one may conclude that life in a high rise flat is a necessary evil in the life of a big city.