Dahisar building declared as 'most dangerous' was vacated by authorities, but had illegal occupants

Seven people were killed and seven others injured when a four-storey building collapsed around 6.40am on Saturday in Dahisar. The building, Piyush Co-opoerative Housing Society, was built in 1982, the same period as the ill-fated Altaf Mansion in Mahim which collapsed on June 10 was completed.

Located near Dahisar station (east), BMC had vacated the building in 2010 after a small portion of it collapsed. This is the third major building crash tragedy around Mumbai in the last 10 days.

The deceased include vegetable vendors who took shelter there. A watchman, Mansingh Saarkhi, lost three family members who stayed on the second floor.
Firemen and personnel from the National Disaster Relief Force extricated seven injured people and the dead from the rubble. Two of the dead were identified as Faizan Sheikh and Dharmendra Harijan, said to be vegetable vendors. Three others were from the watchman’s kin, including his 8-year-old daughter and wife.

‘Most dangerous’ building
The BMC had served a notice to occupants and evicted and sealed the building. The structure had been slotted in the C-3 category – ‘most dangerous’.

Constructed during 1980-82, the building was originally a residential building but later housed diamond-cutting and polishing units. Heavy machinery and several workers had led to a 25- to 30-fold rise in  load on the building.

“After they moved out, a few vendors, a juice centre and tea stall occupied the building illegally,” said deputy municipal commissioner Bharat Marathe.

REDEVELOPMENT dispute to blame
The society’s managing committee had locked horns with builder-developer Nemji Gangar who had constructed the building. “We wanted to redevelop the building, but Gangar wanted all development rights. Recently, he told us we can go ahead with the conveyance but he will develop the building,” said society chairman Lalit Jain, adding that they were to meet the developer on Monday to finalise matters. “If not for the delay, this tragedy would not take place,” he said.
Vivek Shelatkar, secretary of Flat Owners Organisation of Dahisar said that even when the building developed cracks in 2006-07, Gangar never allowed the society to undergo redevelopment.

BMC may get powers to seal buildings
Civic chief Sitaram Kunte said on Saturday that BMC will plug loopholes in a 2009 policy that allows officers to vacate people from dilapidated buildings and seal them. Most of 959 ‘most dangerous’ buildings in the city are privately owned. Mayor Sunil Prabhu said he will convene a special meeting to debate the policy.