BMC shows photos, videos of past cave-ins to convince people to vacate unsafe houses

Representational Image

In line with civic chief Ajoy Mehta’s orders after the spate of building collapses recently, including a century-old structure in Bhendi Bazaar which claimed 33 lives, officials from ward offices have taken up additional measures to encourage residents living in dangerous buildings to move out. Apart from issuing notices and pamphlets in various wards, officials have prepared a presentation, which includes videos and pictures of past building collapses, to convince the residents to move out.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), there are 642 dilapidated buildings in the city, of which only 22 have been demolished so far. While 120 others have been vacated, majority are either under litigation, pending with the advisory committee or their residents have refused to move out despite the BMC disconnecting water and electricity supply.

Many such buildings fall in F North ward, which includes areas like Parel, Kings Circle and Matunga. Ward officials have designed a presentation, which includes images of past collapses including Altaf Manzil in Mahim and Gopal Bhuvan in Malad West. “We have prepared an extensive presentation titled ‘Sar Salaamat Toh Pagdi Hazaar’, which means you can enjoy the pleasures of life only if you stay alive. We have invited the chairman and secretary of the buildings so that we can explain the risk of staying in structures which can collapse anytime,” said Vishwas Mote, assistant municipal commissioner, F North ward.

Mote added that apart from the presentation, civic officials had also organised meetings between residents and corporators or activists in the area. In F North, 181 families still live in dangerous buildings.

Majority of these C1 category buildings, which have been declared “dangerous”, come under L ward. A team of four civic officials have already started visiting the landlords and tenants of 100 such buildings. “We have disconnected the electricity and water connection of 93 C1 category buildings and yet people continue to live in 80 of them by illegally obtaining electricity. A team comprising an executive engineer, junior engineer and assistant law officer have visited more than 10 buildings so far and, if required, the residents will be forcibly evicted after warnings,” said Ajit Kumar Ambi, assistant municipal commissioner of L ward.

Like in F South ward, office-bearers of the societies in L ward are being invited to the ward office to view a presentation, which includes past collapses and rescue operations. Ambi added that apart from the measures taken up by ward officials, the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act needs a provision which will hold the landlord and tenant responsible in cases where residents refuse to vacate even after water and electricity connections have been disconnected. “Currently, the Act does not include any criminal action and only has a small penalty of Rs 2,000-5,000. Unless the landlord and tenants are legally held responsible, they will not agree to move out,” he said.

Similarly, in H West ward, there are 30 such buildings and ward officials have charted out a plan. “We will invite the residents to a film we have designed on past building collapses and the loss of life it brings with it. Instead of issuing notices to just the office-bearers of the societies, we have distributed notices and pamphlets to every household,” said Sharad Ughade, assistant municipal commissioner of H west ward, adding that if the notices do not convince people to vacate, they will have to forcibly evict them.