Misused Kalbadevi buildings especially vulnerable to disasters

One of the most congested locations of Mumbai, Kalbadevi in South Mumbai is especially vulnerable to disasters. This point was brought home by the massive Gokul Niwas inferno.

The narrow lanes of Kalbadevi, crowded with people and handcarts, are lined by a series of half-a-century-old, low-rise buildings placed cheek-by-jowl. Residents of the area say it has always been like that, but over the years, rampant unauthorised constructions and a manifold increase in hawkers have caused an increase in the problem.

With lanes reduced to half their width because of illegal parking, multiple taxi stands as well as hawkers and handcarts selling wares at the corners of most roads, there is barely any space for fire engines to access a spot during any mishap.

"If a similar fire erupts in any of the building tomorrow, things for the fire brigade officials or inhabitants of the building will not be any better. The present state of the area is likely to yield the same results as Saturday," said Sunil Shah, a local.

Shah has a point. Electrical wires surreptitiously hang across the streets, providing power to the local hawkers. "Are these not dangerous during a fire like what just happened?" Shah asked.

Kalbadevi and its surrounding Bhuleshwar area are the city's wholesale market hubs. Shops dealing in metals such as aluminium, stainless steel, copper and metal scrap; and smoke-emitting gold manufacturing units, textile and umbrella markets, chemical and medicine shops dominate the area.

Pooran Dave, another resident, said that only about 10% area in each building here is residential, the rest has been put to commercial use. "The first three floors of any given building are full of shops. Only the fourth storey of a building or a part of the third storey has people living there," said Dave.

Dave said that most commercial units, especially gold-manufacturing ones, store chemicals for polishing the jewellery. "In case of a fire, the chemicals, the gas cylinders used by residents, all add up to the problem. We have complained about the illegalities so many times to the civic authorities, but action is yet to be taken," he said.

Dave said that the plinths of many structures are disturbed by creating different levels. "The structures are already old. Digging up at the base will weaken it, increasing the chances of a collapse like Gokul Niwas," he said.

Assistant municipal commissioner of C ward, Dr Sangeeta Hasnale, said, "It's not just the BMC, but other bodies like the BEST, Traffic police, MPCB, have a role to play. A housing policy by the state government for redevelopment of the old buildings is also needed. I can't comment further on this."