25 July,2017 06:01 PM IST | Mumbai | Laxman Singh
Restaurant builds illegal kitchen on area meant for cleaning and maintaining the building’s sewerage line; BMC says it has sent a notice to the owner, who claims allegations are baseless
The illegal kitchen built on a passage meant for the cleaning and maintenance of the building's sewerage line
A Restaurant in their building has left residents of Nityanand Mansion in Bhandup with a bad taste in their mouths. Since the last few months, the eatery, named Konkan Swad, has allegedly encroached space on the ground floor and constructed an illegal kitchen on a passage meant for the cleaning and maintenance of the building's sewer line.
Towering chimneys keep billowing hot air into homes of second-floor residents. Pics/Datta Kumbhar
The alleged encroachment has also ended up damaging footwear of an adjacent shoe shop, and its chimneys have made lives hell for residents of the second floor. Society members have filed several complaints in the local ward office regarding the menace. When they complained to the eatery's management, they were asked to speak to the owner Ramana Shetty. He told mid-day, "The illegal shed was removed after the society people's objection. So now there is no illegal structure and the existing part has an authorised license. I am unaware of any notice given to us by the BMC since I have been out of Mumbai for more than a month. I will check and reply accordingly." He added, "The hotel was constructed in 1984 and has all the required permissions. There is no new addition to it. All the allegations made by society members are false and baseless."
Blocked passage
The building is 55 years old and has eight commercial structures and 16 flats. Kishor Rambhiya who has been running a footwear shop in the building since more than four decades told mid-day, "The kitchen is constructed right behind my shop. When they start cooking, the wall of the shop gets heated and damages the footwear kept there. The passage should be kept open as it is for the sewerage of the flats. But the hotel has put cylinders, water tanks and utensils there."
Kantibhai Sorana, a 74-year-old resident said, "In case of any problem, it would be impossible to do any repairing work. The illegal kitchen is always a risk for the building." Prashant Pause, another resident, echoed the same view, "The encroachments should be removed for the safety of residents and building."
Rodent rumble
"Moreover, they throw all the food waste there only. This has caused a rodent problem and they are now getting inside the shop. Recently, the fire brigade warned in its report that the kitchen area does not have a fire safety compliance report and directed the S Ward to take necessary action, but nothing has happened," Rambhiya added.
Another bone of contention is the eatery's towering chimneys. Their height has been raised till the second floor. Residents have complained that constant fumes from the kitchen keep billowing into their homes, especially at night.
Sorana complained, "Ideally, the chimneys should be above the building. But the hotel has kept it at the second floor's level. The fumes are also affecting small children in the building."
Discussed in meeting
In a meeting on July 12, the ward committee chairperson and BJP corporator Samita Kamble had directed BMC officials to take action against the eatery. "In the meeting, ward officer Santosh Dhonde had promised to demolish the structure immediately, but there has been no action," said Rambhiya.
Speaking to mid-day, Samita Kamble said, "After residents had complained about the risk to their lives because of the illegal structure, I have asked the ward officer to demolish it. I will raise this issue again in a meeting on Tuesday."
