Repairs to crumbling Bhandup building have residents, owner divided

A residents points to cracks in the walls of his home. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

Repairs being done to a crumbling building in Bhandup have a housing society and its land owner at loggerheads since early January. While the owner alleges that tenantable repairs are being carried out at the Aghadi Nagar building, which actually needs to undergo structural repairs, the housing society's committee says they're doing the required repairs after due intimation and permission from BMC.

The society consists of two buildings with two wings each and about 120 members. A handful of residents have claimed that the pillars and beams in their homes are cracked and they are living in the fear of a slab collapse.

Fearing collapse
Tausif Pathan, a resident, said, "Our kitchen slab can collapse anytime as it has a serious leakage issue. The society hardly does anything." Ground floor resident Asad Khan said, "There are serious cracks in the pillar of my neighbour's home, and there were some in my house too, but I recently got them repaired."

Shahnaz Hasmatullah Khan, another resident said, "Cracks have developed in our house even after doing repair work. Our kids live with us, so we have to keep doing repairs." Resident Hasibunisa Khan said, "We've been residing here since 20 years, but we dread every monsoon as water comes inside through major cracks near the window. Last monsoon, a part of our slab collapsed but luckily no one was standing below it."

Despite the residents' allegations, the landowner, one Noorkhan Pathan, has claimed BMC is not taking serious note of the structural report submitted in 2018 by society members which stated that immediate structural repairs need to be carried out, instead of mere tenantable repairs. Pathan said, "BMC has been informed about the repairs where it can clearly be observed that pillars and beams are being chiselled and hammered at in the name of tenantable repairs. If BMC was the one ensuring structural repairs are carried out, why is it allowing just tenantable repairs then?"

Refuting allegations, the housing society's secretary, Iftikar Ahmed said, "There is absolutely no merit in the allegations. Everything has been done according to the law. We have intimated the BMC ward office and our structural engineer is taking care of the repairs. We are doing the repairs for the safety and benefit of society members. A few professional complainers are out to harass and extort money from society and its members by making false and frivolous complaints to the authorities."

BMC says
The assistant municipal commissioner of BMC's S ward, S Dhonde, said, "The repair work is of tenantable nature, which was very well informed to the complainant; the society has intimated us about it. While no changes or additions have been done to the structure, there was no need for permission from the building proposal department. However, another structural audit report will have to be submitted to us so that we know the status of the building after the repairs."

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