Access road to industrial space in Prabhadevi shrinks, putting thousands at risk of fire; crisis reaches tipping point for owners of businesses, workers there
Bussa Industrial Estate
Owners of workspaces in the Bussa Industrial Premises Co-operative Society Limited, in Prabhadevi, have sounded the alarm at the rapid and ongoing shrinking of the access road to their 45-year-old premises. The Bussa industrial premises were formed in 1973. It is a commercial society comprising a ground-plus-four storey structure housing approximately 125 galas, which manufacture everything from paper to wood and other flammable materials. It is tucked away inside Century Bazaar lane, amidst rapidly developing luxury skyscrapers in a changing Prabhadevi landscape.
Those who own industrial units in the premises, have seen the entry and exit road to the estate shrink dramatically through the years, as slum rehabilitation towers have literally circled and dwarfed it. They believe things are now at a tipping point and with the number of fires in buildings in the city; they are sitting ducks for a disaster of a similar sort. "It has been two years since our access road has been completely encroached upon," office-bearers of the society claimed, backed by at least 100 other members.
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Entrance to the Bussa Industrial Estate with scooters eating up the road. Pics/Suresh Karkera
The SRA towers started coming up in 2006, and many of them were occupied by 2011, while some are still in the process of completion. There are at least 15 SRA towers around the estate. Residents of the SRA buildings park their two-wheelers on the Bussa access road, endangering both workers and owners within on a daily basis. Shrinking of the road means, "it is very difficult to enter and exit the building. A fire engine will not be able to enter and even an ambulance will find it extraordinarily difficult, only God can save us from a disaster," said Bussa secretary, Vishal Kothari.
Merry-go-round
The owners of workspaces claim their 'file' with voluminous correspondence with municipal authorities, the fire department, and ward office about their problem has been circling like a merry-go-round since 2017. Jaikumar Singhal, Bussa treasurer, added in desperation, that they have written to the chief minister on October 15, 2018. The two-page letter, states at the outset that those working inside Bussa, "are exposed to a much greater risk of fire than the 'Kamla Mills' fire, as there is no proper access to our industrial estate via a DP Road which is a must in Development Control Rules.'"
Slum rehabilitation towers are extremely close to each other
Singhal and other owners laughed wryly as they said, "We are well and truly stuck over here. Sometimes we have water tankers on the road, which compounds the problem. We also waste so much time entering and exiting. God forbid if any car even touches a scooter parked here, then fights break out."
Kothari added that overseas business visitors of owners "are appalled and completely nonplussed at these conditions. We have to be on the main gate to escort them inside."
Chartered accountant Pritesh Joshi, who has an office in Bussa said, "When I know I am going to leave the office late, I don't commute by car, I walk home. I cannot exit in my vehicle as there are so many two-wheelers on both sides. We must be given an alternative route through which we can reach Bussa."
Paper manufacturing at Bussa
On the edge
Assistant Municipal Commissioner, Devendra Jain, of G South Ward had made a comprehensive report last year on the issue. Excerpts from the report say, "An SRA scheme has been developed on the plot adjacent to Bussa Industrial Estate which makes the access road vulnerable because of two-wheeler parking on both sides. The width of the said access road ranges from 6-9m."
This report also included a paragraph headlined: 'Fire Station Remarks'. There it has been stated: As per remarks from the Station Officer, Worli Fire Brigade, "the existing approach road to the Bussa Industrial Estate is encroached upon by huge parking of vehicles on either side of the road, and the actual width of the road is reduced to a certain extent by constructing permanent structures. This will cause hindrance for smooth maneuvering of fire appliances in case of any emergency.'
Belling the cat
Bussa representatives met Nitin Kareer, principal secretary, Urban Development Department, roughly a month ago to apprise him of the problem. Kareer said to this reporter, "They may have met me; I do meet a lot of people. Cannot these problems be solved at the Municipal level?" Jain, AMC G-South directed this reporter to a senior BMC official of G-South who acknowledged there is a festering problem. He said, "We have also made a site visit.
The access which was approximately 9m, where Bussa had right of way, has been encroached through parking of numerous two-wheelers by the residents of the SRA towers in the area. We have written letters to the traffic department, we have to get answers. We will have to clear this jointly. The BMC is ready to stand by Bussa and clear the parking, after which we can put up no parking boards. The traffic cops will have to hold surveillance there, regularly." With the merry-go-round still on, Bussa believes the avenue to voice their concerns like their road is also getting narrower. They scoff cynically, "Everybody knows we are in dire straits and a solution is needed but nobody wants to bell the cat."
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