Borivli house collapse: Residents accuse BMC of rubble rousing

The building on the right is to be demolished

The residents of Borivli's Geetanjali Nagar have lost their homes, and now fear losing the money they would have made from their buildings' demolition. They alleged the BMC forcibly demolished one building, and is obstructing the demolition work of two others. The civic body wants the job to make money, as residents would end up paying the demolition charges, they said. The contractor hired by the residents had offered to pay R10 lakh for razing three wings.

The residents of Om Shree Geetanjali Nagar in Borivli West vacated the remaining three wings in the society after the Bombay High Court ordered them to demolish the building within a week. They hired a contractor for the work, but he left following constant obstructions by the BMC, said the residents.

Also read: Borivli building collapse: They saw cracks forming and escaped in the nick of time

Society members Mahesh Sevekar (left) and Latesh Pandya outside Om Shree Geetanjali Nagar in Borivli West

The BMC then forcefully vacated the B wing, citing vibrations and safety threat, and demolished it, said the residents. Latesh Pandya, who had a flat in B wing, said, "We have been living on the road after the BMC forcefully demolished our building."

"After A-1 collapsed on Friday, the HC asked us to vacate our society within 24 hours and demolish the structure within one week. We appointed a contractor, but BMC officials rushed to our society and told us that B-1 is shaking. We told them that their use of heavy debris-removing machines at the site of A wing is causing vibrations in B-1. We also informed them that our contractor will complete the demolition work on time, and also pay us R10 lakh for three buildings," he added.

BMC interrupting

However, the civic officials forcefully razed B-1, said Pandya, adding, "Now we are left with only two buildings - B-2 and B-3, and the BMC is pushing us into giving them the demolition job."

"For the first two days after the HC order, the BMC didn't allow the workers inside the society, claiming safety reasons, etc," he said. Pandya alleged that the BMC officials told them that "they will demolish the two wings anyhow. The BMC will charge us lakhs of rupees for the demolition, which we cannot afford."

Another society member Mahesh Sevekar said, "Our contractor could finally enter the society on Wednesday morning. However, BMC officials are still causing obstructions and interrupting the demolition work. Moreover, there is a temple in front of our society, and people visit it all the time. It takes at least 30 days to demolish a building. How were we supposed to do it in seven days?"

Only 5 days left

"If we fail to meet the court's deadline, the BMC would take over the demolition work and make money, while we end up losing lakhs. The BMC should be helping us instead of trying to extract money from people who have just lost their homes," Sevekar said.

The society members have five days to complete the demolition of the two remaining buildings. "We have sent a letter to the court, complaining against the BMC's deliberate interruptions," he added.

On a question about the demolition charges if the BMC takes over, Nivrutti Gondhali, assistant municipal commissioner of R Central ward, said, "The society members will have to pay the demolition charges, which they can recover from selling the debris."

"To demolish the society structure, it doesn't require registered contractors. The society can appoint their own contractor and take safety precautions during the demolition work. We demolished B-1 because it was vibrating and in dangerous condition," Gondhali added.

19 Aug
Day A wing in the society came crashing down