Another collapse in Mumbai: Toll rises to 7, Dahisar building declared most dangerous in 2010

Seven people were killed and six others were injured when a four-storey building collapsed on Saturday morning in Dahisar.

The building, Piyush Co-opoerative Housing Society located in market area of on Yashwant Tawde Marg near Dahisar station in east, was vacated three years ago by BMC after part of it collapsed.

BMC also had served notice under section 354 of MRTP Act and had evicted and sealed the building. However, local vegetable vendors used to take shelter in the structure sometimes.

A watchman Mansingh Saarkhi, who lost three family members in the tragic incident, had occupied one room on the second floor of the building as his family had arrived from Nepal. Mansingh works as a watchman for nearby building.

The incident occurred around 6.40 am when the dilapidated Piyush Building suddenly came crashing down, catching the unauthorised dwellers unaware, said an civic official.

This is the third major building crash tragedy in the Mumbai metropolitan region in the past 10 days. Fire brigade officers and personnel from National Disaster Relief Force extricated several injured and dead bodies from the rubble.

While five people were brought out alive from the rubble of the building, two succumbed later at the BMC’s Bhagwati Hospital. While two of the dead have been identified as Faizan Sheikh and Dharmendra Harijan, believed to be local vegetable vendors, three person's from watchman's family included a 7 year old daughter and 35 year old wife. Third person was his brother-in-law. All three had come to meet him 20 days ago.

Also see- Dahisar building collapse: Scenes from the site

BMC HAD DECLARED THE BUILDING MOST DANGEROUS
BMC had declared the building as most dangerous C - 3 category and had evicted the building on February 16, 2010. The building, constructed during 1980 - 82 was originally a residential, but was used for commercial purpose by diamond cutting and polishing workshops and big units.

These units housed heavy machineries and hundreds of people increasing the load on the building almost 25 - 30 times more."Civic authorities has evicted all the commercial establishments out of the building and sealed the building by barricading it with tin sheets. While all the commercial establishments moved out of the building, few vegetable vendors, a juice centre, a tea stall, which originally had hotel in the building earlier had occupied the building illegally.

Vegetable vendors used to stack their green goods here during the day", said Bharat Marathe, Deputy Municipal Commissioner.

Mayor - civic chief to move amendment in 2009 policy - Sitaram Kunte, municipal Commissioner said that they will plug the loopholes in the 2009 policy of the BMC which allow the authority to not only serve notice to the most dilapidated buildings but also enables the authorities to evict and seal such dangerous structures. "However, the need of the hour is not only to evict the building but also pull them down to avoid loss of human lives. We will study all the aspects before enforcing the law as most buildings falling under the C - 3 category which totals upto 959 buildings across the city are private", Kunte said after visiting the site.

Civic chief added that we have started campaigns wherein our staff along with senior officials go and sensitise the residents of dilapidated buildings to move out and not risks their lives.
"We even offer them alternate accommodations until their building is redeveloped. Deemed conveyance system has also gained popularity and societies have shown positive response. Our officials help them through the process", said Kunte. Sunil Prabhu, Mayor of Mumbai said that he will convene a special general body meeting in the corporation at earliest to debate and discuss the 2009 policy.

The policy was passed when I was the leader of the house. Now as a mayor I will ensure that amendments happen for general good.

DISPUTE ON REDEVELOPMENT CAUSED DELAY
Managing Committee of the Piyush Co-operative Housing Society had locked horns with the builder - developer Nemji Gangar who had constructed the building. "We wanted to redevelop the building, but Gangar wanted all the development rights.

He tried to get the conveyance for two years and failed. Recently he told us that we can go ahead with the conveyance but he will develop the building", said Lalit Jain, chairman of the society.

Jain said that they were supposed to meet the developer on Monday and finalise the redevelopment matter. "Had he not wasted time in delaying the process, our new building would have stood tall here and the tragedy would not have taken place", Jain added.

Vivek Shelatkar, secretary of Flat Owners Organisation of Dahisar said that Gangar ignored all the provisions of Maharashtra Flat Ownership Flats Act 1963. The building which was constructed for the residential purpose was later sold to commercial units of diamond industry.. Even as the building developed cracks in 2006 - 07, he never allowed the society to undergo redevelopment. He wanted to control everything.

Nemji Gangar, a builder - developer runs charitable hospital in Dahisar and is also known as prominent social worker in the area.MP, MLA reiterates the need of deemed conveyance.
Criticising the system, Sanjay Nirupam, Member of Parliament from North Mumbai, said that BMC should demolish such vacated dangerous building. "Poor and needy would get lured to take shelter in such easy available space.

But if the building was dangerous authorities should demolish them. Also there are still more than 55 buildings in Dahisar east area which are declared dilapidated and dangerous for habitat. Such buildings should try and get deemed conveyances and go ahead with the redevelopment to avoid such accidents. "I assure that this building will get deemed conveyance in next 15 days", Nirupam said.

Dahisar Shiv Sena legislator Vinod Ghosalkar said the building had been evacuated two years ago after it was declared dangerous by the civic authorities. “It was due to be redeveloped. But owing to a dispute between the owner and tenants, the matter is under litigation. We will help them if they face any hurdles while dealing with the authorities and get them the deemed conveyance faster", Ghosalkar said

On June 10, an old four-storey building collapsed at Mahim in central Mumbai, killing 10 and injuring six.

On Friday, 10 people, including six children, were killed when a 35-year-old three-storey Shakuntala building crashed in Mumbra town in Thane district.

And April 4, Mumbra witnessed the state's worst-ever building crash which killed 75 people and injured another 60.