After Belapur bldg collapse, 55 shelters come up in Navi Mumbai to house disaster victims

NAVI MUMBAI: A week after a four-storey building came crashing down in CBD Belapur amid a heavy spell of rains, killing three persons and injuring two, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) identified and readied 55 relief shelters across various locations to accommodate victims in times of such disasters

NAVI MUMBAI: A week after a four-storey building came crashing down in CBD Belapur amid a heavy spell of rains, killing three persons and injuring two, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) identified and readied 55 relief shelters across various locations to accommodate victims in times of such disasters.

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The civic body has also roped in 114 NGOs which will collectively offer to provide food for up to 15,000 people in times of emergencies. These centres include schools and temples apart from the community centres of the civic body.

After the collapse of just over a ten-year-old Indira Niwas building in Shahbaz Village of Belapur, the residents were housed at a relief shelter in Agroli, Belapur where they are being provided with food and other amenities.

Kailas Shinde, municipal commissioner said they had prepared the disaster management plan before the onset of the monsoon. “We have ensured that safe shelters have been identified so that victims can be rehabilitated immediately if any disaster strikes,” Shinde told HT.

He said they have spruced up the relief shelters where victims can be moved fast. “We have also kept in mind that we accommodate the residents to the shelters nearby to their location. We are also equipping these shelters with necessary amenities and services so that those residing there do not face any problems,” added the municipal commissioner.

He also added that apart from instances of building collapse, there are also possibilities of water entering homes during torrential rainfall among other emergencies for which people might need to shift. “We have made arrangements for it and ensured that those shifted for whatever reasons will get meals, medications and relief at the shelters,” he said.

As many as 114 organisations, including restaurants, and social and other institutions provided food supplies to these shelters. “The commitment is such that we will be able to provide meals to around 15,000 people at any given time. We have provided details of these organisations in the emergency plan we have prepared,” said Shinde.

The civic body said it has already initiated action against dilapidated buildings across Navi Mumbai by disconnecting water and electricity supply and shifting residents to safer places. Shinde concluded, “We appeal to the residents to cooperate with the civic body to ensure immediate relief to all and prevent any loss of life.”