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Kalbadevi residents rush to get BMC nod for repairs, redevelopment

The C ward comprises 3,500 cessed buildings, of which 3,200 are over 100 years old. There are 16,000 cessed buildings in the city, a majority of which are located in South Mumbai.

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Following a massive fire at Gokul Niwas in Kalbadevi on May 9, a portion of the building had collapsed, killing two firefighters
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The recent Gokul Niwas mishap seems to have woken up residents of Kalbadevi and its surrounding areas to the grave dangers they live in. For the last three days, several residents as well as building owners, particularly those staying around the collapsed structure, have been making a beeline to the local ward office to seek permission for either repairs or redevelopment of their buildings.

The C ward covers Kalbadevi, Bhuleshwar and its surrounding areas and is the hub of wholesale markets in Mumbai.

Ward officials, however, said only the designated executive engineer of the civic body's building proposal department can give permission for repair or redevelopment of such buildings, many of which belong to Mhada.

Assistant municipal commissioner of the ward Dr Sangeeta Hasnale said, "We are directing the residents to the building proposal department, where they will have to put up a proposal for repair or redevelopment of their building."

The C ward comprises 3,500 cessed buildings, of which 3,200 are over 100 years old. There are 16,000 cessed buildings in the city, a majority of which are located in South Mumbai.

Another ward official said most people are aware of the dangerous condition their buildings, but no one is bothered when it comes to getting structural audits or repairs done. "Most residential buildings have turned commercial over the years. So, the shop owners are not bothered about the safety of the buildings," the official said.

"Even the building owners are not bothered about repairing and redeveloping their structures because of the meagre rent they get as per the archaic Rent Control Act. Also, the process of putting up a proposal in the department entails a lot of paperwork," the official said.

Meanwhile, the ward is also in the process of carrying out a survey of all the old and dilapidated structures around Gokul Niwas to ascertain their structural stability. "We will lay special emphasis on structures around the collapsed building," said Hasnale.

The inquiry committee investigating the fire, headed by additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee, will come up with a set of recommendations for fire safety in old and dilapidated buildings of the city.

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