Mumbai: Fort’s Botawala building evacuated after terrace collapse

The Botawala building at Horniman circle. Pics/Satej Shinde

The Botawala building at Horniman Circle, which houses about 40 commercial spaces and is home to a single individual, had to be evacuated after cracks appeared and a small section of its terrace collapsed on Monday afternoon. Tenants told mid-day that Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has started carrying out repairs, but no one has been informed when they can occupy the ground-plus-three-storey building.

Haribhau Patel, a tenant who runs the Sai Kripa stationery shop on the ground floor of the Botawala building, said, "MHADA officials visited the building on the day of the incident and evacuated every tenant. We are hoping to resume our business operations next week."

The building facade and a cracked section

According to a tenant, around 200 people were present during the evacuation. "We don't know what will happen next," he said.

Haribhau Patel, a tenant who runs a stationery shop on ground floor of structure

When mid-day visited the spot on Wednesday, the building was empty, though a few tenants were standing around. An iconic restaurant on the ground floor was closed. After the incident, the road around the building, mostly used for parking, was sealed off as a precaution.

Horniman Circle, then known as Elphinstone Circle, as captured by an unknown photographer in the 1870s. Pic/Wikimedia Commons

A MHADA official said, "We evacuated the building on Monday. We are working to make the building safe for occupants."

Milind Shambharkar, chief officer, Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board, MHADA, was not available for comment.

The vacant Botawala building at Horniman circle, Fort on March 12. Pics/Satej Shinde

Bharat Gothoskar, a city chronicler and founder of the NGO Khaki Heritage Foundation, told mid-day the eight buildings surrounding Horniman Circle, the city's first business district, came up about a century and a half ago. "They mimic the designs of building circles in England. Hence, they are an irreplaceable part of Mumbai's heritage. One of them, the State Bank of India building, was rebuilt a century ago but the façade facing the garden was maintained in its original format. The Botawala building is the worst maintained of the eight. I hope the government takes immediate action on this issue and restores it to its former glory."

According to a BMC official, there is a provision for Heritage Transferable Development Rights (TDR) which can be sold by the owner or occupier of an old building. The funds can be used for the maintenance of the building.

Chetan Raikar, a former member of the Mumbai Heritage Committee, said, "This TDR can be availed of just once. If one generation uses these funds, what will remain for the next generation? Maintenance of heritage structures needs to be made commercially viable. In my view, there is a need to think about whether every old building should be considered heritage-grade."

2PM
Time on Monday when upper part of building collapsed

One
No. of tenants who reside in building