Bhiwandi collapse: Neighbouring bldg will be demolished

MUMBAI: The Bhiwandi-Nizampura Municipal Corporation (BNMC) has decided to demolish the ground-plus-two storey Gaffar building adjoining Kabir building which collapsed in Bhiwandi on Sunday. Eight people were killed and 22 injured in the crash.
The decision was taken on Wednesday after the civic body, while demolishing Kabir building, found that Gaffar building too was damaged.But after civic officials informed the residents, there was a ruckus and the staff had to return without demolishing the building.
Sunil Jhalke, public relation officer of BNMC, said, “The Kabir building demolition has affected Gaffar building. Hence, we have decided to demolish Gaffar building too.”
Gaffar building residents blamed the BNMC for damaging their building and said they will not allow demolition.
A Gaffar building resident said that when BNMC staff started demolishing Kabir building, they had asked the civic staff to be careful. But they used dockland machine, damaging Gaffar building too, he said.
The civic body has also started demolishing illegal structures in rest of the region. On Wednesday, ward officer Sunil Bhalerao, along with civic officials, demolished the portion of a newly constructed illegal ground-plus-four storey building in Nehru Nagar in Bhiwandi. The staff had to face ire of the building’s residents.