Residents of tilting Dhamji Sadan building in Ghatkopar East claim they haven't received any notice from civic body prior to Wednesday's call for evacuation
BMC had started demolishing the building from Wednesday night
A day after the Dhamji Sadan building in Ghatkopar East tilted to the left, its tenants have accepted that it is in a dilapidated condition, but claim that they have not received any notice from the BMC. They have also alleged that a part of the front portion of the building had not collapsed, but was brought down by the BMC.
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Several residents were in the process of moving out of the building on Thursday. Pics/Sneha Kharabe
The civic body started demolishing the vulnerable parts of the building from Wednesday night, when it had informed all 32 residents to vacate the crumbling structure.
'No collapse'
Savji Varai, owner of the Jyoti Tailor shop, which is located on the ground floor said, "We have not got any notice from them. I earn my bread and butter from this shop. What also shocks me is the BMC deciding yesterday [Wednesday] that the building will collapse, when not one portion has collapsed in the last three years." Residents also told mid-day that they'd approached the state housing minister Prakash Mehta. One of them claimed Mehta had promised to make temporary living arrangements in a school.
Also read - Mumbai: Building tilts in Ghatkopar, residents refuse to vacate it
Temp accommodation?
Miten Dalal, who has been staying in the building from the last 50 years said, "It is true that the building was in a dilapidated condition, but we have not received any evacuation notice from BMC. When we argued about this with BMC officials who came here, they said they'd given the notice and we'll have to vacate the building. Also, there hasn't been a single collapse, then how did the BMC suddenly think that the building is unfit? BMC is not even ready to give us temporary accommodation."
Also read - Mumbai: Residents evacuated on time after building tilts in Mumbra
Corporator says
While assistant municipal commissioner Bhagyashree Kapse remained unavailable for comment, Rakhi Jadhav, local NCP corporator said, "When I asked the ward officer to show me a copy of the evacuation notices, I found that they were sent to the landlord and not the tenants. I met the municipal commissioner in the evening and requested him to provide temporary accommodation. He denied it saying that there is no provision for the same in the policy as it is a private building."
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