Mumbai: Promised keys in hours, got nothing after 5 months

Sakhubai Kangne, 60, stands in front of the remnants of her home near Gokhale bridge in Andheri East on Tuesday. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had promised to hand over the keys to houses to families residing near the Gokhale bridge reconstruction site in Andheri East before demolishing their shanties in July in order to facilitate the movement of a crane. However, the residents have been visiting the ward office, seeking accommodation, since then and are still staying on the site.

The civic body, which has promised to complete at least one part of Gokhale bridge by November, razed a few structures partially amid the monsoon to manoeuvre machinery. The work was going on smoothly until a wall of a partially demolished house collapsed after a huge machine came in contact with it recently.

One of the house's residents, Sakhubai Kangne, 60, said, "They demolished one part of my home in July, saying we would get an alternative home. My daughter has been visiting the BMC office since then.

Sakhubai Kangne, 60, in the remnants of her home near Gokhale bridge in Andheri East on Tuesday. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Last Tuesday, around 10.30 am, I was in the toilet on the first floor when I suddenly heard a loud sound. The wall of my house collapsed after a gigantic machine came in contact with it. I was so shocked. How can I stay inside this structure, which can collapse at any time? We were forced to keep our household items outside and many of them have already been stolen."

Kangne stays with her daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons. The family tried to stay in a rented room away from the site for a month but couldn't manage the rent. Kangne added that they had to protect themselves and their things from the heavy rain. She said she feared all their possessions would be washed away during the next monsoon.

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"We have been staying here since 1993. We received the first notice in March and BMC officials told us that we would get alternative accommodation. The second notice was served in June and they demolished our house partially on July 17, promising to hand over keys to alternative houses in the evening. But the houses, which are in Jogeshwari, are in terrible shape, so we refused to go there," said Navina Bane, Kangne's daughter.

Husaina Sherif, another resident who claimed that she is eligible for an alternative home, said, "We have eight members in the family and two of them are handicapped. We somehow manage our expenses and cannot go anywhere even if they demolish our home. No public representative ever visited us to hear our story."

"Though they said it would be a partial demolition, our entire home, except the front door, was razed by the BMC on July 17. Now we stay in Andheri West and pay Rs 18,000 a month in rent. We have no other option," said Haji Sherif, a son of Aaisha Sherif, told mid-day. He added, "We have been staying here since before my birth, 30 years ago. And now we are making rounds and attending meetings to get an alternative home."

A resident of a nearby building said that there was once an open space near the bridge. "Many structures were built after 2000. One person has more than 11 structures on the premises. If the BMC had acted in time, this situation wouldn't have happened," the resident alleged.

A civic official said, "We had got instructions to clear a 10-metre passage for the machines but now the cranes need more space to manoeuvre. There are many structures but after checking the documents, the residents of only four of them are eligible for alternate accommodation. We are doing the process." Manish Valanju, assistant commissioner, K East ward, did not respond to mid-day's calls and messages.

July 17
Day Kangne's house was partially razed

2000
Year after which several structures came up on site