Mumbai building collapse: Solutions on paper, ground reality remains unchanged

After the collapse of Siddhi Sai in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar in 2017 killed 17 people, a three-member committee had recommended creating a new post of a technical assistant in every ward to inspect illegal alterations to structures, but the ward directory of the BMC has no mention of such a post.

For a city that has seen several building collapses in the past two decades, Tuesday’s Kesarbai Mansion collapse in Dongri came as a grim reminder of how the recommendations of committees formed after every such incident to prevent any further mishap remain only on paper.

Mumbai building collapse: After the collapse of Siddhi Sai in Ghatkopar in 2017 killed 17 people, a three-member committee formed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gave 13 recommendations. (Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

After the collapse of Siddhi Sai in Ghatkopar in 2017 killed 17 people, a three-member committee formed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gave 13 recommendations. One of them was to form a separate cell to look into disputes related to dilapidated buildings. However, a senior civic official confirmed that till date, no such cell has been formed. “The cases are handled ward-wise, by their building and factory departments.”

The committee had also recommended creating a new post of a technical assistant in every ward to inspect illegal alterations to structures, but the ward directory of the BMC has no mention of such a post.

Pankaj Joshi, executive director, Urban Design Research Institute, said, “Setting up committees after an incident is a knee-jerk reaction. We already have adequate framework with regards to maintenance of buildings. We have to strengthen it further. The national building code also needs to be made mandatory and not a recommended framework in the state to regulate construction.”

The recommendation reports submitted after the Gokul Nivas fire tragedy in 2015 that killed four senior fire officials insisted on strict monitoring of illegalities in wards, so did the general recommendations given after the Dockyard building collapse.

Vivek Pai, an urban planner, however, said, “Despite it being mandatory for old buildings to get a structural audit done by a licensed engineer, it is not adhered to. Similarly, there is no constant monitoring in wards.”