Worli high-rise faces power cut again

Just three weeks after electricity connection at Worli’s Har Siddhi Heights was restored, the 36 families residing in the high-rise may again face a power and water cut. BEST, which had restored supply on May 26 following an interim order from the Bombay high court, has issued a notice to the building.

The residents have been asked to show cause as to why electricity supply to their building should not be discontinued for non-compliance of statutory requirements. Hearing a petition filed by a resident of the building - Renuka Shah - the high court on Friday directed BEST to decide on the show cause notice in two weeks.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice JN Patel and Justice SC Dharmadhikari directed BEST to give the residents a hearing.

The BEST had cut off electricity supply to Har Siddhi Heights on May 3, citing “security threat” as the reason after Indian Navy complained that the 18-storey structure posed serious threat to adjacent naval base, INS Trata.

The BEST had taken the step following a communication by the state government and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, which said that the high-rise had been declared a national security threat by the Western Naval Command. Also, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had not issued an occupation certificate to the building.