Mumbai: BMC cracks down on city restaurants misusing awnings

One of the restaurants that is serving customers under the monsoon shed

Restaurants and commercial establishments have once again been found not toeing the line - despite the BMC issuing a circular asking them to remove the monsoon sheds they've put up, many eateries are still using those to serve customers.

Right to Information (RTI) activist Santosh Daundkar has alleged that multiple restaurants in Girgaum, Worli, Andheri and other areas are blatantly using area covered under monsoon sheds for commercial purposes. He has written a letter, dated July 20, to Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, informing him about these violations.

BMC chief's order directing removal of monsoon sheds came after the Kamala Mills tragedy. File Pic

Busting violations
Daundkar had filed an RTI query in the BMC to check the procedure for allowing monsoon sheds for restaurants, after which he found Mehta's June 8 order directing all assistant municipal commissioners (AMCs) not to allow any such shed for carrying out business and revoke all permissions granted for the same.

Speaking to mid-day, Daundkar said, "The order was issued after the fire tragedy in Kamala Mills compound, where an illegal monsoon shed was the reason behind the rapid spread of the blaze. Now, eateries across the city have again erected these sheds to serve customers.

"I'd filed complaints in some cases, and local wards officials had told me that notices had been issued to the errant establishments. However, not a single shed has been removed. If prompt action is not taken, another Kamala Mills-like tragedy could happen. BMC is dilly-dallying..."

The civic side
Mehta's order states, "All AMCs to note that monsoon shed will be provided for business purpose and it should not be used as a tool for FSI consumption ...it can be provided as awning for protection for customers from the rains."

A senior civic official from the Removal of Encroachment department said, "Many establishments were already given permission for erecting monsoon sheds before this order came. Now, we have issued notices to them to remove the sheds... In fact, just last month, permission granted to a political party's office for a monsoon shed was canceled, keeping the order in mind."

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