TMC says bldg nearby dangerous, residents call it knee-jerk reaction

After the Krishna Niwas building collapse killed 12 people on Tuesday, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has declared an adjacent structure, Ganesh Darshan, dangerous and has asked its residents to move in a week.

After the Krishna Niwas building collapse killed 12 people on Tuesday, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has declared an adjacent structure, Ganesh Darshan, dangerous and has asked its residents to move in a week.

Injured were rushed to a near-by hospital after Thane's Krishna Niwas building collapsed at 2.30am when residents were fast asleep. (Photo by Praful Gangurde)

But the people who live in the 20-year-old building objected to the notice, saying it has been served as a reaction to the Krishna Niwas tragedy.

The TMC’s letter to the residents of the five-storey structure states the beams of the building have developed cracks and there is leakage in its slabs. The notice says if residents don’t vacate their homes in the next seven days, the TMC will not be responsible if the building collapses.

“The building was constructed only in 1995. We recently conducted a structural audit, which said the damage is reparable, and work on this is scheduled to begin soon,” said Suresh Kshirsagar, a cartoonist and a resident of the building. The residents met TMC authorities on Wednesday and made clear their unwillingness to move out. Dattaray Bhoir, who lives on the ground floor of the building, said authorities had served the notice only to avoid responsibility in the future.

“The residents met us on Tuesday with the building’s structural audit report, which says repairs should be done within a month. As the building is damaged, we asked them to vacate, but they are not ready to do so,” said Arvind Panchal, assistant commissioner, TMC.

Panchal said residents who move out will be shifted temporarily to Vartak Nagar rental homes.