Mumbai: Residents fight out BMC officials who request them to move out of dilapidated building
Even after Ghatkopar building collapse, more than 250 people living in a dilapidated building named Raj Kishore in Kandivli west are not willing to vacate it, even after BMC's request.
Even after Ghatkopar building collapse, more than 250 people living in a dilapidated building named Raj Kishore in Kandivli west are not willing to vacate it, even after BMC's request.
Each time BMC officials come here to tell them to move out, they have some or the other reason to justify and extend their stay in this dilapidated building which is covered with tarpauline to save the residents from rain.
Raj Kishore Building is 32 years old and a structural audit was done in 2012, and it was found to be dilapidated. Since then, the BMC officials of the local ward have been coming here year after year during monsoon season to convince the residents to leave.
Ashok Khaire, deputy municipal commissioner zone seven, along with his team of officers has reached the building again on Wednesday to convince them to leave before they have to resort to evacuating the residents using force. Prior to this, the BMC officials had also disconnected water and electricity supply to the building to force people out, but after the residents pleaded, it was restored.
"These people just refuse to leave. They keep saying that we will leave in 15 days, but who has seen when a tragedy will strike. Lives of people are much more important than anything else, so we have year after year resorted to evacuating buildings which can just fall any time,"says Khaire.
Residents on the other hand have a list of problems which they cite to not leave the building.
"We have to look for another house in the area as children have to go to school and the rent is so high that many of us cannot afford a house here. If a builder comes in, then by the time he constructs at least during that time we will get rent, so we can survive around here," says Prityajit Kumar Shah, a resident of the building.
The residents say that a few years ago they had appointed a builder who backed out at the last minute. After this they got into agreement with another developer whose papers are still pending with another department of BMC which is not getting cleared.
The process mandates that the dilapidated society has to appoint a developer who in turn has to appoint an architect. The architect then submits a redevelopment proposal to the BMC. If all the documents are in order, then all proposal is accepted online and an intimation of disapproval (IOD) is issued. Then, the developer shifts the residents of the dilapidated building helping arrange for their stay in a transit location after which a commencement certificate or a (CC) is then issued. The residents of Raj Kishore Building say that BMC as yet has not issued an IOD so the redevelopment work has not started and because of that they cannot afford to go and live outside the premises. The BMC officials, on the other hand, say that the paper work brought forth by the society is not complete because of which the IOD has not been issued.
Whatever said and done, this entire procedure does put the residents to risk.
Another resident Umesh Mehta says, "We have given a letter to the BMC that if anything happens to the building and any untoward happens then BMC is not responsible. We are living here at our own risk."
However, BMC refuses to let such residents to continue living so precariously. Sahebrao Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner , says, "Even if they give such notice, does this mean we will let them live here. We cannot let lives be lost because of this. We will make sure that the residents of these buildings leave this building right away."
BMC is planning to forcefully remove the residents on Thursday after which a seal would be put on this building. Just in this area, there are 64 such dilapidated buildings out of which the residents of at least 16 have managed to get a stay on their evacuation from court.
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