Mumbai: Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust vacates families living in dilapidated buildings

Mumbai: The Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) has begun vacating families living in the dilapidated buildings to safeguard them during the monsoon. With the ongoing construction in clusters one and three, the Trust is also vacating and demolishing dilapidated buildings in other sub-clusters.

The structural audit done by Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority revealed that almost all buildings in the area were in a dilapidated state. At least 65 of these buildings were declared as ‘highly dangerous’ to occupy and needing immediate evacuation.

Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS has appointed a special 16-member team comprising senior professors from the community’s principal educational institute, Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah.

This special team is in addition to the existing tenant management team of SBUT which has been engaging with the residential tenants of the Project.

“We reinitiated our counsel with all the families who are presently living in dilapidated buildings. Our efforts have resulted in over 90 families signing the agreement and expressing their willingness to shift out of the buildings,” said Saifuddin Patnawala who is leading the 16-member team. Patnawala added that they would continue with their engagement and try convincing the remaining tenants to consider the revised rental offer and vacate their premises at the earliest.

MHADA Chief Milind Mhaiskar had visited Bhendi Bazaar to understand the project and its challenges. On inspecting the decrepit living conditions, he instructed his team to expedite the certifications process and use pertinent regulations to deal with non-consenting tenants who refuse to vacate the premises despite being provided with rental compensation. So far, SBUT has vacated over 2400 families and over 600 businesses from Bhendi Bazaar as part of the redevelopment project.