BMC wants to vacate us, redevelop our building, claim residents of 100-year-old building at Jacob circle

The residents allege that the BMC has been sending repeated notices for conducting structural audit of the building despite it being declared safe in a structural audit by a BMC-empanelled firm in January this year. Jacob circle has been developed as an ultra-luxury real estate micro-market over the past few years ad has attracted the attention of top builders in the city.

Mumbai: Alleging that the civic body wants to declare their building structurally unsafe, so that they can get it vacated and then redevelop it, the residents of a 100-year-old ground plus one storey Mehta Building at Jacob Circle in Mahalaxmi, a prime location, have complained of harassment by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The residents of Mehta Building allege that the BMC has been sending repeated notices for conducting structural audit of the building despite it being declared safe in a structural audit by a BMC-empanelled firm in January this year.

The residents allege that the BMC has been sending repeated notices for conducting structural audit of the building despite it being declared safe in a structural audit by a BMC-empanelled firm in January this year.

Jacob circle has been developed as an ultra-luxury real estate micro-market over the past few years ad has attracted the attention of top builders in the city.

“In the last 40 years, the BMC has never conducted a structural audit. Why are they suddenly showing so much interest in the structural stability of our building? We have reasons to suspect that they want to show our building as unsafe and vacate it so that they can get it redeveloped,” said Balkrishna Narkar, 60, chief promoter of the building.

“Since January 2023, we have been receiving non-stop notices of structural audit for our building. We got our structure audited by empanelled structural engineer Gaurang P Raut and received his report on January 18, 2023, stating that the structure is safe and stable for dead and live loads,” said Narkar.

“Despite submitting the report to the BMC multiple times, they keep sending new structural auditors to the premises every month, causing great mental harassment and stress to simple, middle-class citizens of Mumbai. In the past four months, we have received three notices,” said Narkar.

There are 53 tenants living in this cessed building on Keshavrao Khadye Marg, one of the seven roads from Jacob Circle or Saat Rasta, which leads to Godrej group’s Planet Godrej.

Mehta Building tenants have been in a legal dispute in the Bombay high court with M/s. Triumph Urban Developer, a Nariman Point-based developer previously interested in the plot’s redevelopment. The BMC is also a respondent in the writ petition filed by the tenants in 2022.

“One of our prayers in the petition is that the letter of intent granted to Triumph Urban Developer should be cancelled since the firm did not have the consent of tenants,” said Narkar.

“In compliance with the HC order in April this year, we have filed a representation along with individual affidavits to the BMC stating that we do not recognise this unwelcome party as developer of our plot and that we have never given our consent to this company,” added Narkar.

The BMC is yet to take a decision and the matter is before the high court.

Residents claimed that the BMC sent two structural auditors to the building and the residents allowed them to conduct the audit. On May 30, 2023, a third auditor was sent.

The January 2023 report by civil engineer Gaurang Raut of Femconstruct Consulting Engineers Pvt Ltd said, “I certify that the said building is safe and stable for Dead load and Live load. It is advised to perform periodic repairs and painting work after every three to five years or as required. This certificate is valid for 1 year from date of issuing.”

The report said the existing structure, built in 1922, needs to be regularly monitored as it is 100 years old and repairs should be carried out in December 2025 to ensure its serviceability, durability and stability.

Prashant Gaikwad, assistant commissioner, Estates, said, “As per high court guidelines, we carry out structural audit of all old buildings before the monsoon. In this case, the building tenants have carried out the structural audit and the building has been declared safe and it is a good thing.”

Gaikwad added, “They met me yesterday and have agreed for an audit next week. If our audit shows the building to be safe, the matter ends there. If our audit reports are contradictory to their report, then we will refer the matter to the Technical Advisory Committee comprising BMC technical officials which will look into it.”

Asked what the previous structural audits of the building by firms Stanchion Engineers and Prime Enterprises revealed, Gaikwad said, “They have not submitted their reports after conducting the audit. We have issued them show cause notices and are awaiting their reply.”

Mehta Building may be ground plus one structure with 10x 10 rooms, but it is a prime plot at the corner of Jacob Circle, which has seen unprecedented rush from big developers over the years to create ultra-luxury inventory promising Mahalaxmi Racecourse and Arabian Sea views.

As reported by HT earlier, there are 17 high-rise projects being developed within a 1.28 km radius of Mahalakshmi Racecourse by Mumbai’s leading developers which include K Raheja Group, Lodha Group, Lokhandwala Kataria Developers, Piramal Realty, Prestige group including Lokhandwala Minerva touted to be Mumbai’s tallest tower at 300 metres.