Earlier, the court had said that it would be a disaster if the Esplanade Mansion, whose occupants have sought a stay on their eviction from the decrepit heritage building, collapsed, as it would cause loss of many lives.
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday appointed the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to carry out a structural audit of the Esplanade Mansion in Kala Ghoda area. A portion of the dilapidated building had collapsed recently.
A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Anuja Prabhudesai have asked the IIT to submit a report within four weeks. The expert body will check the strength of the building and find out if it can be repaired. The cost of the expert has to be borne by petitioner Advocate Ashok Sarogi and owners of the building.
Earlier, the court had said that it would be a disaster if the Esplanade Mansion, whose occupants have sought a stay on their eviction from the decrepit heritage building, collapsed, as it would cause loss of many lives.
Advocate Ashok Sarogi moved the court against the eviction notice issued to the building's occupants by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) in 2015. Sarogi is one of the tenants of the Esplanade Mansion, where a slab collapsed recently. While nobody was injured, a taxi parked on the road got crushed.
Advocate PG Lad, appearing for MHADA, argued that the authority has been issuing eviction notices since 2007 to the owners and tenants. "We want to save the lives of people. There are 15 families and over 200 advocates residing there," he said.
Sarogi had moved the HC in 2015 when MHADA issued an eviction notice after the building was declared dilapidated and dangerous for habitation. The court had granted a stay on it but noted that the tenants were occupying the premises at their own risk.
RISKY BUSINESS
- As per MHADA's list of dangerous buildings in the city, Esplanade Mansion occupies the top rank.
- A tenant, who also happens to be the petitioner, moved the HC in 2015 against the authority's eviction notice. While the HC granted a stay, it said the occupants will now inhabit the building at their own risk.
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