The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally woken up to the menace of illegal constructions in Kasaiwada, Kurla (East). The BMC on Friday demolished three illegally raised chawls in the area, after part of an adjoining chawl in Rafiq Estate had collapsed on Wednesday midnight. Also, notices were served to the owners of dilapidated illegal chawls in the area.
The civic body is chalking out a proposal to lay down a rehabilitation plan for all those who were left homeless after the Rafiq Estate mishap. “We are contemplating a redevelopment plan in association with the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (Mhada) and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to rehabilitate the people,” said Aseem Gupta, additional municipal commissioner.
Also, chief secretary JP Dange has called for a meeting with officials of the BMC, Mhada and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Saturday to discuss the redevelopment policy for dilapidated buildings in the city. Dange has instructed BMC officials to survey Kasaiwada and submit a report before drafting the redevelopment policy.
However, Milind Kamle, an MLA from Kurla, said that corruption was the main reason behind the illegal constructions in the area. “There has been no demolition so far. How will the concerned authorities demolish chawls when they are hand in glove with the builders and the owners?” said Kamle. According to a senior civic engineer, Kasaiwada has over 45 illegal chawls.
Shiv Sena corporator and local ward committee chairman Kamlakar Naik also raised concerns similar to Kamle. “How can the police be oblivious to rising illegal chawls in Kasaiwada? The BMC has no official records for the buildings, but they have been raised. There is no way the chawl owner and builders could have survived without support of the police,” said Naik.
In the Rafiq Estate mishap, the police have arrested chawl contractor Karim Maqbool and caretaker Haji Mastam Sheikh. While the duo has been booked under Section 304 (A) of the IPC, amounting to culpable homicide, Farzana Sheikh, owner of the chawl, is still absconding. “We have launched a manhunt for Farzana Sheikh and will arrest her soon,” said BR Kadam, senior police inspector from the Nehru Nagar police station.
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