Accepting BMC’s 2013 report could have averted tragedy

However, they privately re-audited their unsafe building in 2016, which changed the status to ‘repairable’ and then failed to repair it despite giving an undertaking to the civic body

Mumbai The building collapse, which claimed at least 19 lives and injured many others in Kurla east on Monday night, could have been averted if the occupants accepted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) audit report in 2013, which declared it ‘dilapidated’.

Over the three years, several notices were issued to the occupants of the building, urging them to start repairs or vacate the unsafe housing (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

However, they privately re-audited their unsafe building in 2016, which changed the status to ‘repairable’ and then failed to repair it despite giving an undertaking to the civic body. Over the three years, several notices were issued to the occupants of the building, urging them to start repairs or vacate the unsafe housing.

The ground-plus-three floor structure was placed under the C1 category (dangerous for habitation) in 2013 first. In May 2016, the civic body, in an attempt to vacate the building, had disconnected their electricity and water supply.

Irked by this, residents alleged that the BMC wanted to intentionally remove them from the house and appointed a private auditor in June 2016. Thus, the category of the building was changed from C1 category for demolition to C2B category for urgent repairs.

However, it must be noted that most of the occupants, who were victims in the collapse, were residing there for hardly two to three years, some even a couple of months.

Meanwhile, Mahadev Shinde, assistant commissioner, L ward said, “We had started the process of declaring it dangerous in 2013-14 under C1 category. The society members re-audited it to C2B category for repairs. We go by registered empanelled auditors of the BMC. The society appoints a private auditor. The first notice to vacate was issued in 2014 and it was declared dangerous for habitation under the C1 category. Then residents alleged that they are forcibly being evicted. Their electricity and water connections were disconnected in 2016. Meanwhile, they protested that their building wasn’t dangerous.”

Shinde said that residents in 2015 alleged that BMC wanted to render them homeless.

Meanwhile, residents submitted an undertaking in 2016 that they will live at their own risk and conduct urgent repairs.

“They gave an undertaking that the society and not the BMC will be held responsible in case of a mishap and they even failed to repair their building. BMC always has the welfare of the residents in mind, but they always misunderstand our intention,” he added.

“We intend to save lives and residents make baseless allegations that BMC takes bribes to bring down their structure,” he said.

A senior civic official said that when a notice is issued by the BMC and a building is declared dangerous under C1 category, then the society appoints a private auditor and conducts a re-audit to change the category.

It is then referred to a technical advisory committee (TAC) appointed by the Bombay high court itself. TAC comprises a team of deputy chief engineers from the development plan department, ward executive and civic staff. They assess the two reports of the BMC and residents; visit the site and consider the categories.

In some cases, when it is a private property, societies give an undertaking that they will repair it.

“This protest and reluctance happen mainly due to internal society issues when all members are not in favour of redevelopment. Vacating residents from dangerous buildings has always posed a challenge for ward officers. People continue to reside even when water supply and electricity is cut off. They are undeterred,” he said.

As per the BMC’s April 25 list of dangerous buildings, there are 337 buildings in Mumbai which fall under C1 category and are in urgent need of demolition. Kurla’s L ward has at least 11 unsafe buildings while H (west) ward in Bandra west tops the list with over 30 buildings in a dangerous and dilapidated condition.