Mumbai: Supreme Court defers hearing on MHADA’s power to issue 79A notices, 900 buildings remain stuck

Dilapidated structures in South Mumbai. File pics/Ashish Raje

Mumbai's pagadi building residents face another prolonged delay as the Supreme Court deferred the hearing on whether the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) is competent to issue Section 79A notices to dilapidated cessed structures. The hearing was pushed to September 10 after Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) lawyers sought an adjournment a day before the scheduled hearing. Residents fear that "tareekh pe tareekh" will continue while they remain trapped in ageing structures.

[popcorn number="900" desc="No of buildings stuck due to the case" class="Default"]

Buildings stuck

Samruddhi Patil, another Pagadi resident, said the issue is significant for thousands of residents living in old and unsafe cessed buildings. MHADA has said there are more than 13,000 old and dilapidated cessed buildings in Mumbai, many of which require redevelopment. "Of them, over 900 buildings, to whom MHADA had already given 79(A) notices, are stuck for months due to this case. Slabs, ceilings of many of these 900 buildings have already collapsed in this period," she said.

Govt relief

Banoshri Shah, who sustained a leg injury in December last year after a portion of the ceiling fell on her while she was cooking at home, said, "Recently, in the ongoing Assembly sessions, the Maharashtra government, based on the report submitted by the authority to the Bombay High Court and after analysing all the points, had declared MHADA as the competent authority to issue 79A notices to the dilapidated buildings. That had brought great relief to all of us living in these dangerous buildings. What was the emergency that the lawyers had to write an application to postpone the hearing?"

Activist Speak

Jitendra Ghadge, Pagadi activist
‘Thousands of citizens living in Pagadi buildings were anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court's decision after the government amended Section 79A of the MHADA Act. Many of them were watching the proceedings live and were shocked when the BMC lawyer submitted an adjournment application just a day before the hearing - especially since the BMC has had no significant role in the matter from the beginning. Just a week ago, a building collapsed in Malabar Hill. For thousands of residents living in dilapidated buildings, every single day counts. I have filed a complaint with the BMC Commissioner seeking an enquiry into this suspicious adjournment. I hope that on the next date of hearing, the BMC will correct its mistake'