Heritage building to make way for 10-storey tower

109-year-old Sitaram building, a stone's throw from the CP's office, is to be pulled down

Heritage building to make way for 10-storey tower

109-year-old Sitaram building, a stone's throw from the CP's office, is to be pulled down

Erecting a 10-storey building near Crawford Market seems an innocuous project on the face of it. If anything, it bespeaks development, proceeds and more room in a space-crunched metropolis. Then why is it that residents are complaining?

For one, it is coming up by pulling down a Grade-II heritage structure. Two, the new building will have a view of, or more specifically, will be able to peep into, the police headquarters.

The 109-year-old Sitaram Building in SoBo may soon be pulled down, and the residents of the high-rise that would replace it could peep into the sensitive Crime Branch office, if the plan of a new building is anything to go by. The proposed structure is barely 70 m from Mumbai Police Commissioner's office.

In light of the terror threat looming overhead the city perpetually, and pointedly now, mostly from overseas groups armed with sophisticated weapons, high-rises cropping up around police headquarters are not the best idea.

The police have said that they would check if there is a security threat.

Earlier, the Mumbai police had shot down a proposal for a 22-storey shopping mall as part of the Crawford Market makeover in 2006 due to security reasons.

The entire area surrounding the upscale Crawford Market in the city's prime locale has been under scanner for the past 10 years, because of certain builders trying to usurp the land. Shopping malls like Sara Sara and Sahara and the adjoining areas were prevented from large-scale redevelopment.

Director of the project, Shabbir Soni, confirmed that he has plans to construct a 10-storey building in place of the old structure.

Incidentally, the property was handed over to Sitaram Laxman, a contractor during the British era, in 1902. It was bought by Beauty Home & Quick Finance Co Pvt Ltd in 1987.

The scare
There is something else that is nagging the residents of the century-old heritage-grade Sitaram Building. But they are not very forthcoming about it, maintaining a stony silence over the venture. Much prodding revealed that they are afraid of repercussions.
u00a0
They "do not want to speak openly," as they fear "a backlash from toughies", especially after they "were asked to vacate the premises so that the building could be pulled down". They hesitantly hinted at dubious links, but nothing could be confirmed beyond that (see box).

There are 10 blocks in the building measuring 6,100 sq yards of prime land on the junction of DN Road. Block K and L have already been razed; the work is being carried out on weekends or at nightfall, away from the world's gaze, insiders informed this reporter.

Tacit union?
Have the residents done anything to oppose the overhaul?

"We have lodged a complaint with the MRA Marg police station," said a senior citizen residing in the building for the past 60 years.

Citing how rules have been bent for construction projects in the area before with the complicity of officials across different departments, he said, "Earlier, a seven-storey building had been constructed in the open area of the Sitaram Building compound, and after more than 10 years, three more storeys were constructed illegally.

The 100-year-old lease of the plot had expired in 2000, yet the commencement certificate (or a CC, required to begin a construction), applied for in 2004, was granted in 2010," he added.

What is noteworthy is that the project got a clearance despite the fact that a public interest litigation regarding the matter is pending in court.

Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik was not available for comment. Police spokesperson DCP Rajkumar Vhatkar said he would look into the matter.

Expertspeak
Experts believe something is amiss with the okay given to the construction. Chairman of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee, Dinesh Afzalpurlkar, said a heritage structure can be redeveloped only if it is a Grade III heritage structure, and in a ramshackle condition.

The 109-year-old Sitaram Building near the police commissioner's office at Crawford Market may soon be pulled down.

"The case needs to be studied in detail. Questions regarding heritage value, the damage done, the repairable parts, and feasibility of restoration need to be answered first. If a structure can be restored, then there is no need to bring it down or redevelop it entirely."

Gangland links
In 2006, the Crime Branch had intercepted conversations between Dawood Ibrahim's younger brother Iqbal and his henchman Lallu clearly indicating that the 'D-Company' had paid Rs 25 lakh to officials in various government departments to procure the lucrative Crawford Market makeover contract for their up-market commercial operations.

Lallu's son had explained that the civic authorities are willing to allow construction up to u00a015 floors. He went on to add u00a0that while Rs 25 lakh had been paid to officials, the figure u00a0could go up to Rs 25 crore or more.

In the past
In October 2010, the Navy had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking demolition of Harsiddhi building in Worli, as it had not obtained the requisite no objection certificate from western naval authorities before construction.

As per directive passed by the state government, an NOC has to be procured from the navy for any construction within 300 m of the base.

The 28-storey Harsiddhi building is just 57 m from its base INS Trata, a portion of which has sensitive missiles
and launchers.