PMC may allow tenants in dilapidated wadas to carry out repairs

Tenants living in the city's dilapidated wadas can heave a sigh of relief now as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is all set to pass a proposal allaying the formers' fear of being displaced or killed. The proposal would allow tenants to undertake repairs of the old structures that the owners usually oppose or delay, leading to several incidents where wadas have come crashing down, injuring or killing tenants.

There have been instances of fire as most wadas default on fire safety measures and lack adequate fire fighting equipment. There are around 1,000 wadas in the city and most of them are in a precarious condition.

The proposal will also settle the issue of rehabilitation of tenants when the wadas undergo repairs or redevelopment. In most cases owners shirk the responsibility of giving an alternative accommodation to the tenants, literally bringing them to the streets.

Unable to find a temporary house, the tenants stay put at the precarious buildings risking their life. PMC officials say most wadas have collapsed because encroachment. "The heritage structures can be salvaged only if the tenants cooperate with us. Despite repeated notices, people refuse to move out of the wadas," said a PMC official, requesting anonymity.