Mumbai: Kurla society told to vacate over work on adjacent plot

Iron rods jut out from the dug-up area adjacent to Mahanand society in Kurla. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

In the middle of the monsoon season, about 400 residents of an SRA building in Kurla West have been asked by the civic body to vacate their homes citing a threat to their lives. A builder developing the adjacent plot has dug it up too close to this 6-storey structure, whose exposed base has been weakened due to rainwater. The residents said they had written to the authorities when the work started but nobody took any action.

The building of Mahananda Nagar Co-operative Housing Society came up under a project by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in 2013. Located at Kurla New Mill Road, it has 96 flats and 10 shops.

Citing rules, society members said the developer should have left a gap of about 10 feet before digging the plot. They wondered why they were being asked to leave their homes because somebody else violated rules. The BMC, residents and SRA authorities could not immediately identify the developer.

In its letter to the society members, the BMC said, "The premise poses threat to the life of the people who are staying inside the society." It said rainwater is accumulated in the dug up plot and has "damaged the neighbouring Mahananda society". The letter goes on to say, "To avoid unwanted incidents, society members should vacate the premises and shift somewhere else. If any incident will take place BMC will not be responsible for this."

Manish Valanju, assistant commissioner of L-ward, said, "We have given them an intimation notice to vacate their premises and shift somewhere for safety purposes. The building comes under SRA and we have also informed them to fill the dug-up area for the sake of the society members' lives."

Society chairman Avinash Ramchandra Bhojne said the work on the adjacent plot started a few months ago. "We wrote to the BMC and SRA informing them that it was too close and the developer had endangered the lives of 400 people. Who will give us accommodation now? The SRA or BMC or the developer? We need an immediate solution."

Treasurer Vishnu Verpe said, "The SRA should give us alternative accommodation and repair our building since the developer has damaged its base. Now rainwater enters the lift area from the basement. We have no option but to pump it out."

Suryakant Krishna Bhalvalkar, a resident of Mahananda Nagar society, there is no assurance that they will be safe even if the dug-up area is filled. While Sushma Suresh Pawar, 43, said they can't afford a rented house, her neighbour Sobha Shashikant Ambre it is not possible to shift immediately in this rainy season and pandemic situation.

SRA CEO Satish Lokhande did not respond to calls and messages from mid-day.

400
No. of residents in the society