BMC demolishes two rooftop restaurants in Dindoshi

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has demolished illegally operating rooftop restaurants in two well-known hotels — Shanghai Restaurant and Classic Comfort hotels — in Dindoshi on Monday

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has demolished illegally operating rooftop restaurants in two well-known hotels — Shanghai Restaurant and Classic Comfort hotels — in Dindoshi on Monday.

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The two hotels were operating rooftop restaurants for over five years and the P south ward in Goregaon razed them last week.

Rajesh Akre, assistant municipal commissioner, P south ward said, “Rooftop restaurants are not allowed to operate. But the two hotels were running them illegally for more than five years. We have seized their materials and so, there is no question of penalising them.”

The ward has now issued a notice under 351of MMC Act 1888 to prove the authenticity of the whole structures. “As two floors are extended in these hotels, a show cause notice is issued to them to produce the documents,” said Akre.

A civic official from P south ward said there were complaints received by P south ward office regarding unauthorised constructions and these coming in the alignment of the road.

“Accordingly, notices were issued to temporary structures like rooftop restaurants and they were demolished five days back. Another notice has been issued as per MMC Act 1888 on proving legality of structures and we will scrutinise the documents accordingly. We will pass a speaking order in 15 days on whether the structures are authorised. It is a restaurant-cum-hotel and for the permanent structure, which is occupied, we cannot directly demolish them and we had to issue another notice under 351 of MMC Act,” he said.

Vishwas Shankarwar, deputy municipal commissioner, zone V, said those hotel structures were compensated under Kurar pattern and the constructions were undertaken under its shadow.

The BMC claims follow what is known as the ‘Kurar Pattern’, named for Kurar Village in Malad East, where the affected commercial structures that come in the way of road line are allowed to construct vertically.

The Kurar pattern states that if more than 50% of any structure is being affected by any development work, then the BMC will provide additional area to reconstruct the demolished structure vertically.

Ganesh D, manager, Classic Comforts Hotel confirmed that the demolition of their rooftop restaurant was undertaken by the BMC on January 30. Despite several attempts the manager of Shanghai restaurant couldn’t be reached.