Automated parking system of Matunga high-rise without OC collapses

Maintenance work was being done when a few pellets came off, leading to the collapse that damaged the parked cars

MUMBAI: A mechanised “puzzle parking” system on Monday collapsed at Tridhaatu Aaroha, a 17-storey residential building located on KAS Road in Matunga near King’s Circle Station. The three-storey parking structure came crashing down at 3.15 pm, severely damaging multiple vehicles. No injuries were reported, but the incident has raised serious questions about the building’s compliance with safety and regulatory norms.

An official from the BMC’s building and factories department confirmed the collapse and the fact that the building did not have an Occupancy Certificate (OC). (Raju Shinde/ HT Photo)

Tridhaatu Aaroha has been occupied for over three years despite lacking an Occupancy Certificate (OC) and a fire NOC, both mandatory for lawful occupation. The building, developed by Tridhaatu Realty, is home to several families who moved in due to prolonged delays and a lack of viable alternatives.

Durga S, a first-floor resident and one of the original tenants of the old Vishnu Kunj building that once stood on the site, recalled the terrifying moment. “I got a call from my daughter while I was at work,” she said. “She heard a loud blast-like noise and was shaken. By the time I reached, all three levels of the puzzle parking had collapsed.”

Durga and four other families, who vacated the old building in 2014, were signatories to the redevelopment agreement. “It was supposed to be a two-year project,” she said. “But eight years later, in 2022, we still hadn’t got possession of our flats so many of us moved in even though the building did not have an OC.”

Muthukumar Krishnan, one of the owners of Tridhaatu Realty, confirmed that maintenance work was going on at the time of the incident. “Three to four pellets came off during the maintenance of the puzzle parking,” he said. “The society had appointed an agency for this. We as developers have taken full responsibility.”

When asked about the lack of an OC, Krishnan stated, “We have already applied for it. There were some issues related to giving Mhada its share of flats but the surplus has been handed over. We are taking care of it.”