Malad house collapse, no casualties reported

After Laxmi Chaya, parts of a Malad (East) building came crashing down on Saturday. Fortunately there were no casualties. Rajesh Kumbharia and his family, the only residents of Wing 1 of Prajikanji Chawl, or Suresh Building as it is now called, were out selling milk at 7.15am on Saturday, when they heard a deafening noise.

Before they could do anything, Kumbharia, his wife and two children saw a part of the roof fall onto a balcony, and both collapse to the ground.

“We are lucky we were out,” Kumbharia said. Within minutes, other tenants of this building — who had recently moved out to other homes in the neighbourhood, following a dispute with the landlord — arrived on the spot. They informed former BJP mayor Ram Barot, who called the assistant commissioner P (North) ward and the police.

“There were no casualties,” said Uttam Khairmode, senior police inspector of Dindoshi police station. He added that the police inspected the spot and has stepped up vigilance in the area since the collapse.

Landlord Suresh Lalwani rushed to the site when he heard of the collapse, but residents say he fled as soon he saw the police and BMC officials. A wedding decorator, he conducts business from the ground floor. Contacted later, Lalwani said: “Two families were living in the wing where the collapse happened, and both were evicted by the BMC. On Monday, a structural engineer will submit a report to the corporation.”

Kumbharia’s family has been living here for over three generations. Currently, residents say they are embroiled in a feud with the landlord over converting the two wings of Suresh Building into a mall.

The Kumbharias and five other families lived in Wing 1 of this 50-year-old building, while Wing 2 has 42 occupied tenements. Of these, only 16 are original tenants, while some residential premises have been sublet and, after major changes, illegally converted into commercial structures.

“My in-laws have been living here for over 50 years,” says senior citizen Poonam Ahuja, of Wing 2. “The landlord has been trying to evict us for long. He’s put in garment units and embroidery machines. We fear this wing will also collapse.” Lalwani denies this, saying some residents have sublet their homes for commercial use and put in the machines.

“There is no threat to the neighbouring building,” said assistant municipal commissioner MM Kshirsagar. “But we will evict Wing 2 if the engineer’s report deems any risk to the residents.” Finance minister Jayant Patil, who visited the spot, assured residents accommodation in a transit camp should the need arise.