30 April,2026 08:01 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika Gondhalekar
(From left) Cecilia Noel DSouza, her mother Catherine Gomes, and a relative. Pic/By Special Arrangement
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) maintenance department on Tuesday partially demolished the Vidyavihar gaothan home of 87-year-old Catherine Dominic Gomes, even though her family had sought permission to carry out repair works instead of surrendering the entire structure for demolition.
"I watched from my kitchen as the civic workers demolished portions of the structure, including the balcony and shed, and installed support columns and iron pillars to stabilise the remaining section," said Gomes.
Initially, officials had planned to remove only the section required for road widening and leave the rest of the structure untouched. However, following mid-day's intervention and concerns over the elderly resident's access and safety, the civic team revised its approach.
"Officials later decided to provide temporary access arrangements for aunty and her family by constructing a makeshift staircase, while also reinforcing the surviving structure with support columns and iron beams," said Denis DSouza, a gaothan activist.
Despite the civic assurances, the partial demolition has left the octogenarian and her family distressed, as she remains inside the house, witnessing the dismantling of the home she continues to inhabit. The officials have demolished three metres from one side of the house and one metre from the front side.
Meanwhile, Gomes has decided to file a fresh case against the authorities for not providing appropriate compensation before demolition as per the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
According to Bharat Kedar, an engineer from the maintenance department, the action was taken after the deadline given to the family had expired. "A stay order granted to the family by a civil court was not related to the demolition itself, but specifically on the C1 notice issued to the structure without a structural audit," Kedar told mid-day.
The maintenance department offered the family two options: allow the civic body to demolish the entire house in exchange for alternative accommodation, or undertake repairs and surrender the required portion of the property for a road-widening project.
"The family had chosen the second option and sought permission to carry out repairs, which the department had granted. However, as the repair work was not completed within the stipulated period, we moved in on Tuesday and began partial demolition of the affected portion," said Kedar.
